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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Combat veteran and celebrated military artist |
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George L. Skypeck donated his painting The Spirit of the Alamo |
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Lives On to the State of Texas, and it will be available for public |
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viewing at the State Capitol beginning April 9, 2019; and |
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WHEREAS, When Mr. Skypeck was recovering from wounds he |
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received in Vietnam, he spent part of his recovery at the Audie |
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L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital in San Antonio, and in appreciation |
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of the kindness he received from Texans, he painted The Spirit of |
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the Alamo Lives On; the piece depicts incidents from Texas military |
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history, and the paint itself includes sand from Omaha Beach, the |
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site of some of the fiercest fighting on D-Day in 1944; Mr. Skypeck |
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donated the artwork to the state in 2009, and after being on display |
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for a time at the Texas Veterans Commission, it is being rehung near |
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the Medal of Honor hallway in the Capitol on April 9, 2019; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Massachusetts, George Skypeck served in |
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the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1974, including two combat tours in |
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Vietnam as a special warfare and senior intelligence advisor; |
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during the Tet Offensive of 1968, he commanded 50 men in the defense |
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of the Ben Tre outpost; his numerous decorations include two Bronze |
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Stars, a Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, three Air |
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Medals, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge; he left the army in 1974 |
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at the rank of captain; and |
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WHEREAS, In civilian life, Mr. Skypeck earned a bachelor's |
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degree in political science and a master's degree in public |
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administration from the University of Massachusetts, and he also |
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studied at the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington, D.C.; a |
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disabled veteran himself, he has won international acclaim for |
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paintings honoring the men and women who have served in our nation's |
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armed forces; his work is on display around the world, in such |
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places as the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol, the ministries of defense |
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in South Korea and Germany, and the headquarters of the American |
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Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and NATO; his military |
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service and creative contributions have been honored with many |
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awards, including the George Washington Medallion of Merit from the |
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Military Order of the Purple Heart; and |
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WHEREAS, George Skypeck has dedicated his life and his art to |
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supporting and recognizing his fellow veterans, and his generous |
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gift to the people of Texas will hang with honor in the State |
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Capitol, inspiring countless visitors for years to come; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Texas Legislature hereby commend |
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George Skypeck for his donation of The Spirit of the Alamo Lives On |
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to the State of Texas and extend to him sincere best wishes for the |
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future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Skypeck as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |