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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Jess and Peggy Johnson of Dallas have made a |
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profound difference in the lives of countless veterans through |
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their nonprofit organization Vet to Vet, which they founded in |
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December 1994; and |
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WHEREAS, Just before Christmas of that year, the couple |
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distributed hamburgers and coffee thermoses to 24 patients at the |
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Dallas VA Hospital; their generosity was warmly received but the |
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Johnsons soon discovered that they lacked sufficient supplies to |
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provide gifts to each of the hundreds of patients in the |
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transitional care unit; they returned the next day with thermoses |
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for the others, and in the years since they have expanded their |
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operation to include the Bonham, Waco, and Temple VA hospitals in |
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addition to the Dallas location; they now provide 4,000 gifts to |
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1,600 patients each Christmas; in addition, they host monthly bingo |
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games at the Bonham and Dallas locations and invite veterans to |
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attend barbecues and lunches throughout the year; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson will host three fund-raisers in |
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2007 in support of Texas VA hospitals, including the facility in San |
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Antonio, and the Johnsons would like to put Vet to Vet chapters in |
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all 162 VA hospitals across the country; moreover, they are working |
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to develop a Big Brother mentorship program that would match Iraq |
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veterans with Vietnam veterans to help address the effects of |
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post-traumatic stress disorder, and they are building homes on land |
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near the Dallas hospital for veterans and their families to live in |
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free of charge during their rehabilitation; and |
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WHEREAS, A veteran himself, Mr. Johnson served as a U.S. Army |
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combat medic in the Vietnam War and as a U.S. Army Reserve weapons |
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specialist and instructor at the JFK Special Warfare Center before |
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retiring in 1999; he owns Town and Country Insurance and Global |
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Venture Partners, which works with the U.S. government to provide |
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security detail and intelligence operations at key locations around |
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the world, including volatile areas such as Baghdad, Iraq; highly |
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decorated for his military service, he has received the Bronze |
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Star, the Air Medal, the Combat Medical Badge, the Good Conduct |
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Award, a Special Forces Tab, and two Purple Hearts, to name but a |
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few of his honors; Mrs. Johnson is an international flight |
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attendant in her 25th year with American Airlines, and she and her |
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husband are the proud parents of two children, Jessica and Justin; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Our state and nation are fortunate to have men and |
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women whose love for their country inspires them to take up military |
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service, and the generous outreach of Jess and Peggy Johnson gives |
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these individuals a much-needed reminder of the respect and |
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gratitude they have earned through their sacrifices, their |
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dedication, and their immense courage; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend Jess and Peggy Johnson for organizing |
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and supporting the nonprofit organization Vet to Vet and extend to |
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them sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Johnson as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |
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Vaught |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 2886 was adopted by the House on May |
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28, 2007, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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