| |
| |
|
|
SENATE RESOLUTION
|
|
|
WHEREAS, From 1945 to 1991, the world witnessed a |
|
|
military, economic, and ideological confrontation known as the |
|
|
Cold War; waged most prominently by the United States and the |
|
|
Soviet Union, the struggle involved almost every nation on earth |
|
|
to some degree and had a profound impact on the course of world |
|
|
history over the latter half of the 20th century; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Although the Cold War never erupted into a |
|
|
full-scale armed conflict between the world's superpowers, it |
|
|
gave impetus to a number of localized hot wars, as well as to a |
|
|
massive, long-term arms race; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Throughout the Cold War, the State of Texas |
|
|
played a significant role in this country's military |
|
|
preparedness by contributing personnel to the armed forces, |
|
|
serving as the site of important military facilities, and |
|
|
providing material support by way of private industry; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Tens of thousands of Texans served in the |
|
|
military during the course of the Cold War, and many made the |
|
|
ultimate sacrifice; the loss of Texans in Korea from 1950 to 1957 |
|
|
numbered 1,719, and in Vietnam, 3,415; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The state currently has 16 military installations |
|
|
that figured notably in the country's defense system during the |
|
|
period of the Cold War; moreover, Texas was home to Nike and Atlas |
|
|
Ballistic Missile silos, as well as to Strategic Air Command |
|
|
units at Biggs, Carswell, Sheppard, Dyess, Amarillo, and |
|
|
Bergstrom Air Force Bases; other air force bases located in the |
|
|
state during that time included Brooks, Goodfellow, Kelly, |
|
|
Lackland, Laredo, Laughlin, Randolph, Reese, and Webb; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, All 15 of those air force facilities constituted |
|
|
first-strike targets for the Soviet military; secondary targets |
|
|
in Texas included Beeville, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, |
|
|
Sherman-Denison, Texarkana, Fort Bliss, Fort Hood, and the |
|
|
Houston petrochemical complex; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Many industrial enterprises in Texas made vital |
|
|
contributions during the Cold War years; the state's oil industry |
|
|
had a major role in supplying the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, |
|
|
while a number of key defense contractors were either based in |
|
|
Texas or had large Texas operations; among such companies were |
|
|
Texas Instruments, Lockheed, EDS, Bell Helicopter, and Textron; |
|
|
and |
|
|
WHEREAS, One dimension of the Cold War involved a race for |
|
|
leadership in space exploration; crucial to American efforts in |
|
|
this arena was the Johnson Space Center in Houston, the National |
|
|
Aeronautics and Space Administration headquarters for manned |
|
|
spaceflight; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Eight successive American presidents grappled |
|
|
with the challenges of the Cold War; two of these--Dwight D. |
|
|
Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson--were born in Texas and led the |
|
|
nation during the Korean War and Vietnam War, respectively; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Military veterans of the Cold War have continued |
|
|
to contribute to this country as private citizens and as public |
|
|
servants; a number of them have been elected to leadership posts |
|
|
at both the state and national levels; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, It is essential that the history of the Cold War |
|
|
decades be preserved, for the events of that time touched the |
|
|
lives of millions of people and helped to set the stage for the |
|
|
21st century; in reflecting on that long and difficult |
|
|
confrontation, it is also fitting that tribute be paid to the men |
|
|
and women of the United States armed forces, who served |
|
|
selflessly and heroically in that epic struggle; now, therefore, |
|
|
be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 80th |
|
|
Legislature, hereby recognize May 1, 2007, as Cold War Victory |
|
|
Day and extend to all Cold War veterans of the American military |
|
|
sincere appreciation for their exemplary service; and, be it |
|
|
further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared in |
|
|
honor of Cold War veterans. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
_______________________________ |
|
|
|
President of the Senate |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I hereby certify that the |
|
|
|
above Resolution was adopted by |
|
|
|
the Senate on May 21, 2007. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
_______________________________ |
|
|
|
Secretary of the Senate |