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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, It is an honor for the Legislature of the State of |
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Texas to pay tribute to the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, |
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on the occasion of the 40th-Anniversary Memorial Service the city |
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is hosting for the crew of the USS Frank E. Evans; and |
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WHEREAS, The memorial service is taking place on June 3, |
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2009, and is being held in remembrance of the 74 United States |
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sailors who lost their lives in the catastrophic collision of the |
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USS Frank E. Evans and the HMAS Melbourne on June 3, 1969; and |
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WHEREAS, The destroyer USS Frank E. Evans was built in 1944 |
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and had a gallant service record that included participation in |
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World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War; its collision |
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with the HMAS Melbourne occurred in the dark of the morning in the |
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South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam during a multinational show |
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of force to the Viet Cong; and |
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WHEREAS, The USS Frank E. Evans Association, Incorporated, is |
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based in Granbury, Texas, and consists of former sailors, friends, |
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and families who have bonded together to remember past shipmates |
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and honor their service to our nation; the association is actively |
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engaged in an ongoing effort to pay tribute to those who were aboard |
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the USS Frank E. Evans, as the names of the crew have not been placed |
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on the Vietnam Wall due to the accident's location; this year, the |
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association is privileged to be hosted by Ipswich for its |
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40th-Anniversary Memorial Service in remembrance of the lost |
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sailors; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than two centuries, the navies of the |
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United States and Australia have served their countries and have |
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battled to preserve the liberties their citizens hold dear, and it |
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is fitting to honor those aboard the USS Frank E. Evans who gave |
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their lives while carrying out a wartime multinational show of |
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support on behalf of their country and its ideals; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby extend gratitude to the City of Ipswich for hosting a |
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40th-Anniversary Memorial Service in honor of the crew of the USS |
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Frank E. Evans and join with its citizens in remembering all who |
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have fallen in the defense of freedom; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be prepared as an |
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expression of appreciation to the City of Ipswich from the Texas |
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Legislature. |