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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Vietnam veteran Gary Ferguson of Gainesville, |
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Texas, was featured in the PBS television program We'll Meet Again |
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in February 2018, in recognition of his work with Vietnamese |
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refugees; and |
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WHEREAS, A native of Minnesota, Mr. Ferguson enlisted in the |
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navy after graduating from high school, and he went on to serve in |
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Vietnam; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1979, Mr. Ferguson felt compelled to help those |
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Vietnamese who had fled the chaos following the end of the war and |
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were living as refugees; embarking on a personal mission, he |
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attempted to rescue a number of people stranded on the Indonesian |
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island of Buton and take them by boat to Singapore, but he and the |
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others were turned back; he was later arrested by the Indonesian |
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authorities for this effort; and |
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WHEREAS, After his release, Mr. Ferguson was joined by his |
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wife, Sandra, and their daughters, Kimberly and Kelly, and he |
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continued his refugee work in Cambodia; in 1980, he and his family |
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returned to the United States; he became the father of a third |
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daughter, Kristina, and he now lives near his daughter Kelly in |
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Gainesville; and |
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WHEREAS, In the episode of We'll Meet Again entitled "Lost |
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Children of Vietnam," Mr. Ferguson is reunited with one of the |
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former refugees from Pulau Buton, Nam Nguyen; now a resident of the |
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United States, Mr. Nguyen has never forgotten Mr. Ferguson's |
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kindness; and |
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WHEREAS, During the difficult years after the Vietnam War, |
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Gary Ferguson made a remarkable attempt to help those Vietnamese |
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who found themselves in desperate circumstances, and his efforts |
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are a testament to his courage, initiative, and compassion; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend Gary Ferguson for the assistance he |
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offered Vietnamese refugees and extend to him sincere best wishes |
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for the 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. Ferguson as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |