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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Family and friends are mourning the loss of Albert |
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Abraham of Marshall, who died on February 22, 2009, at the age of |
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89; and |
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WHEREAS, Albert Abraham was born in Marshall on November 19, |
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1919, to Louis Charles Abraham and Helena Haddad Abraham; he |
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graduated from Marshall High School and the College of Marshall, |
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now East Texas Baptist University; and |
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WHEREAS, Answering his nation's call to duty during World War |
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II, Mr. Abraham enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces and was trained |
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as a fighter pilot; after initially patrolling the airspace over |
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the Panama Canal, he was transferred to the China-Burma-India |
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theater, where he flew P-51 Mustang fighters in close support of |
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Allied ground troops, destroying enemy installations from the air; |
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at one point during the war, this brave American flew 35 combat |
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missions in 53 days; he was later captured and spent time as a |
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prisoner of war; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Abraham's courage and sacrifice during the war |
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were recognized with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal |
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with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the American Defense |
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Service Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze |
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Stars, the American Campaign Medal with one Bronze Star, the Unit |
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Citation Badge, the World War II Victory Medal, the Presidential |
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Testimonial, and the POW Medal; and |
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WHEREAS, Discharged after the war with the rank of major, |
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Albert Abraham returned to Marshall and married Adrah Marie Ryan in |
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1946; he owned and operated Abraham Grocery until his retirement in |
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1982 and he played an active role in his community as a member of |
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Masonic Lodge No. 22, the Shriners Club, and the Optimist Club; he |
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was also a member of the Gideon Society, and he sat on the alumni |
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board of East Texas Baptist University; and |
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WHEREAS, Deeply loyal to his fellow service members, Mr. |
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Abraham held an appointment to the Veterans' Land Board of the |
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General Land Office, and he earned a certificate of recognition for |
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his work in behalf of veterans in the Lone Star State; he was a |
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member of both the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Albert Abraham dedicated his life to serving his |
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family, his community, and his nation, and he will forever be |
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remembered with warm affection by all those who knew and loved him; |
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now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Albert Abraham and |
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extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife |
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of 62 years, Adrah Abraham; to his daughter, Theresa Crawford; to |
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his son, Charles Abraham, and his wife, Lisa; to his sister, Joyce |
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Haddad; to his sister-in-law, Doris Abraham; to his grandchildren, |
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Courtney Crawford, Michael Crawford, Jeffrey Abraham, Justin |
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Abraham, and Briana Abraham; to his great-grandchildren; and to his |
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other relatives and friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Albert |
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Abraham. |