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