83R25814 JGH-D
 
  By: Price H.R. No. 2824
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Every Memorial Day, millions of citizens across
  Texas and the nation gather to remember those heroic men and women
  in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our
  country; and
         WHEREAS, Originally known as Decoration Day for the practice
  of decorating the graves of soldiers with flowers once a year, this
  holiday began after the Civil War as a remembrance of those who had
  died on both sides of the conflict; celebrated on May 30 in
  subsequent decades, the holiday came to be known as Memorial Day, a
  day to honor all of the country's fallen, in all of its wars; since
  the early 1970s, the day has been observed on the final Monday in
  May; and
         WHEREAS, The nation's most solemn Memorial Day ceremony
  occurs in Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown
  Soldier, where the remains of unidentified Americans from World War
  I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War are interred in
  a marble monument and in the adjacent plaza; accompanied by honor
  guards from all branches of the military, the president of the
  United States traditionally lays a wreath at the tomb, and the
  ceremony is further solemnized by the sounding of "Taps," the
  haunting bugle call that has been performed at military funerals
  and memorials since the Civil War; and
         WHEREAS, At the same time, in cities large and small across
  the nation, veterans and their fellow citizens gather in cemeteries
  and other public places to remember fallen comrades and to pay
  tribute to those who died to protect our liberty; these ceremonies
  are also graced by the stirring echoes of "Taps," and by tradition,
  the United States flag is briskly raised to full staff at the
  beginning of the day and then lowered slowly to half staff, where it
  remains until noon, when it is raised to full staff again; and
         WHEREAS, The toll of freedom is high; in the 238 years since
  the founding of our republic, more than 840,000 American military
  personnel have died in battle, and each year, on Memorial Day,
  Americans gather to pay tribute to those courageous men and women
  who, in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, gave the last full
  measure of devotion; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
  Legislature hereby recognize Memorial Day 2014 in solemn
  commemoration of all those who have died in the service of the
  nation.