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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, For nearly three quarters of a century, Naval Air |
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Station Corpus Christi has contributed greatly to the strength of |
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the U.S. armed forces through its mission to train our nation's |
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naval aviators; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1938, the U.S. Congress initiated a process to |
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create a training facility on Corpus Christi Bay, and on March 12, |
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1941, NAS Corpus Christi was commissioned by its first skipper, |
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Captain Alva Berhard; the first training flight took place in May of |
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that year; and |
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WHEREAS, By the end of 1941, 300 cadets a month were being |
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trained, and that training rate doubled after the attack on Pearl |
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Harbor; future president George H. W. Bush graduated in the third |
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training class in 1943, and by the end of the war, more than 35,000 |
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naval aviators had earned their wings at NAS Corpus Christi, making |
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it the largest pilot training facility in the world at the time; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, the Chief of Naval Air Training, responsible |
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for five air training wings from Texas to Florida, is headquartered |
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at the station, and flight training remains its primary mission; |
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the four squadrons of Training Air Wing Four instruct 600 new |
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aviators a year on the T-34C Mentor trainer and other aircraft |
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during a course that lasts 18 months; and |
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WHEREAS, NAS Corpus Christi is also home to the Corpus |
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Christi Army Depot, the army's largest helicopter overhaul and |
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maintenance center, as well as facilities of the U.S. Coast Guard, |
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the U.S. Marine Aviation Training Support Group, and the U.S. |
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Customs and Border Protection Service, among others; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout its long and proud history, NAS Corpus |
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Christi has been one of the cornerstones of our nation's defense, |
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providing countless naval aviators with the skills they need to |
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defend our liberty; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize February 25, 2015, as Naval Air |
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Station Corpus Christi Day at the State Capitol and extend to the |
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brave men and women of the station sincere best wishes for continued |
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success in their important work; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for NAS Corpus Christi as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |