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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dr. Willis Thomas Jones Jr. of Baytown is deserving |
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of highest commendation for the valiant service he rendered to his |
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state and his nation during World War II; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Jones enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in |
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November 1941, just one month prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl |
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Harbor; he attended flight school and graduated from Armor School |
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in April 1942, at which time he was commissioned a second |
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lieutenant; shortly thereafter, he was assigned to one of the first |
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B-17 bomber groups to head to England for the war; in the fall of |
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1942, his unit was detached from the VIII Bomber Command in England |
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and sent to serve in the North African campaign, which culminated in |
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the surrender of the Axis forces under General Erwin Rommel in May |
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1943; Dr. Jones was subsequently assigned to the 15th Air Force and |
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based in Italy, where he arrived on December 25, 1943; after flying |
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numerous missions as a gunner, he assumed the role of bombardier; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, On July 26, 1944, while Dr. Jones was flying his |
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45th combat mission of the war, his bomber squadron was attacked by |
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a group of German fighters over Vienna, Austria; the assault |
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destroyed his plane and killed the crew's pilot, copilot, and |
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engineer, but Dr. Jones was able to bail out of the aircraft at |
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22,000 feet, after all remaining crew members had ejected; although |
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miraculously unharmed, he was quickly captured by enemy forces and |
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taken to the Stalag Luft I prisoner of war camp near Barth, Germany; |
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there, he endured several months of imprisonment, until the camp |
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was liberated by Russian forces in May 1945; Dr. Jones was |
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discharged from the military with the rank of major in 1946; and |
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WHEREAS, Following his return home to the Lone Star State, |
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W. T. Jones married his wife, Ada Mae, on August 25, 1945, and the |
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couple has since shared nearly seven rewarding decades together; |
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Dr. Jones went on to attend medical school from 1946 to 1950, and he |
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enjoyed a long and successful career in Baytown until his |
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retirement in 1985; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. W. T. Jones embodies the highest ideals of the |
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U.S. armed forces and deserves the lasting respect and gratitude of |
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all Americans, and it is a privilege to commend him for his |
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outstanding contributions to his country and his community; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Dr. Willis Thomas Jones Jr. for his brave |
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and steadfast service in this nation's behalf; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Jones as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |
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Smith |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 192 was adopted by the House on |
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February 19, 2015, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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