|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Vietnam veteran Gary Ferguson of Gainesville, |
|
Texas, was featured in the PBS television program We'll Meet Again |
|
in February 2018, in recognition of his work with Vietnamese |
|
refugees; and |
|
WHEREAS, A native of Minnesota, Mr. Ferguson enlisted in the |
|
navy after graduating from high school, and he went on to serve in |
|
Vietnam; and |
|
WHEREAS, In 1979, Mr. Ferguson felt compelled to help those |
|
Vietnamese who had fled the chaos following the end of the war and |
|
were living as refugees; embarking on a personal mission, he |
|
attempted to rescue a number of people stranded on the Indonesian |
|
island of Buton and take them by boat to Singapore, but he and the |
|
others were turned back; he was later arrested by the Indonesian |
|
authorities for this effort; and |
|
WHEREAS, After his release, Mr. Ferguson was joined by his |
|
wife, Sandra, and their daughters, Kimberly and Kelly, and he |
|
continued his refugee work in Cambodia; in 1980, he and his family |
|
returned to the United States; he became the father of a third |
|
daughter, Kristina, and he now lives near his daughter Kelly in |
|
Gainesville; and |
|
WHEREAS, In the episode of We'll Meet Again entitled "Lost |
|
Children of Vietnam," Mr. Ferguson is reunited with one of the |
|
former refugees from Pulau Buton, Nam Nguyen; now a resident of the |
|
United States, Mr. Nguyen has never forgotten Mr. Ferguson's |
|
kindness; and |
|
WHEREAS, During the difficult years after the Vietnam War, |
|
Gary Ferguson made a remarkable attempt to help those Vietnamese |
|
who found themselves in desperate circumstances, and his efforts |
|
are a testament to his courage, initiative, and compassion; now, |
|
therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
|
Legislature hereby commend Gary Ferguson for the assistance he |
|
offered Vietnamese refugees and extend to him sincere best wishes |
|
for the future; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for Mr. Ferguson as an expression of high regard by the |
|
Texas House of Representatives. |
|
|
Springer |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Speaker of the House |
|
|
I certify that H.R. No. 960 was adopted by the House on April |
|
12, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
Chief Clerk of the House |
|