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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Commemorative Air Force has restored That's All, |
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Brother, a World War II troop transport plane that was used during |
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the D-Day invasion of Europe, and this achievement truly merits |
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special recognition; and |
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WHEREAS, The CAF was established in 1957 when a group of |
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former military pilots in the Rio Grande Valley decided to purchase |
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and preserve an example of every aircraft that flew during World War |
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II, starting with a P-51 Mustang fighter plane; the organization |
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was chartered in 1961, and today, its 13,000 members across the |
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nation and around the world work to maintain, display, and fly 175 |
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vintage aircraft from World War II and other conflicts; and |
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WHEREAS, Built in March 1944, That's All, Brother is a C-47 |
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troop transport plane that played a central role in the main |
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airborne invasion of France on D-Day; piloted by Lieutenant Colonel |
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John Donalson, the plane led more than 800 C-47s that transported |
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over 13,000 paratroopers into Normandy, enabling them to parachute |
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behind enemy lines; the aircraft later took part in Operations |
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Market Garden, Repulse, and Varsity; and |
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WHEREAS, After the war, the plane was placed on the civilian |
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market and passed through several hands; its historical |
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significance had almost been forgotten, but it was rediscovered by |
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two Air Force historians in 2007 in a scrapyard in Oshkosh, |
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Wisconsin, and purchased by the CAF; since then, with the help of a |
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grant from a Texas nonprofit and donations from thousands of |
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individuals, the CAF's Central Texas Wing in San Marcos has |
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restored the C-47 to its 1944 configuration; and |
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WHEREAS, This summer, the CAF will fly That's All, Brother |
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and a fleet of other troop transports across the Atlantic to |
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Normandy to take part in the commemoration of the 75th anniversary |
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of D-Day on June 6, 2019; after that, the plane will be flown to |
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Germany to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift |
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before returning home to Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, That's All, Brother is a living testament to the |
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courage and sacrifice of the soldiers and airmen who took part in |
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the greatest invasion in military history, and the Commemorative |
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Air Force has rendered outstanding service to their memory through |
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its caring restoration of this legendary aircraft; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the Commemorative Air Force for its |
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restoration of That's All, Brother and extend to all those |
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participating in the Normandy commemoration sincere best wishes for |
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a meaningful and memorable event; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Commemorative Air Force as an expression of high |
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regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |