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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Our nation owes a profound debt of gratitude to |
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those brave men and women who take up arms in defense of liberty, |
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and one such individual is J. D. Chastain of Hewitt, who served in |
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the U.S. Navy during World War II; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on a farm in Brown County, Mr. Chastain |
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graduated from high school in 1942 and went on to attend Howard |
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Payne University; answering his nation's call to duty, he joined |
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the U.S. Navy in 1943 and received his basic training at the Great |
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Lakes Naval Base near Chicago; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Chastain was assigned to an antiaircraft gun on |
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the Lexington-class aircraft carrier the USS Saratoga, which was |
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deployed in the Pacific theater of the war; he participated in the |
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carrier's missions to provide air support to Allied campaigns in |
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the Solomon, Gilbert, and Marshall Islands during 1943 and 1944, |
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and in 1945, he was present at the Battle of Iwo Jima, where the ship |
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was damaged by a kamikaze attack and forced to return to Hawaii for |
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repairs; and |
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WHEREAS, On the Saratoga, Seaman Chastain endured the |
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hardships of wartime at sea with good humor, sleeping in a hammock |
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in a room packed with other men when he wasn't manning his "sky aft" |
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position 60 feet above the carrier's deck; he learned to survive on |
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a diet of beans, powdered eggs, and coffee so strong you could stand |
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a spoon in it, and he took his rest when he could, learning to fall |
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quickly asleep whenever he was allowed to "take five"; after the |
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Saratoga returned to Hawaii, he won promotion and reassignment to a |
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job tuning up airplanes; he mustered out and returned to Texas in |
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1946, never having had a day of leave during his entire service; and |
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WHEREAS, Upon completing his education at Howard Payne |
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University, Mr. Chastain went on to a distinguished career with the |
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Texas Department of Public Safety, supervising the establishment of |
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crime laboratories, taking part in the implementation of the FBI's |
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NCIC criminal records system, and playing a role in establishing |
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the use of Breathalyzers; he also served as a Brown County |
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commissioner, and he maintained his ties to the military as a member |
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of the Naval Reserves; and |
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WHEREAS, During the difficult years of World War II, many |
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young Americans placed their lives on hold and put themselves at |
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risk to defend our nation, and J. D. Chastain may indeed take great |
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pride in being among their number and in his selfless contribution |
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to the war effort; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor J. D. Chastain for his service during |
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World War II and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued |
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happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Chastain as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Anderson |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1173 was adopted by the House on April |
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17, 2013, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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