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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Americans owe an incalculable debt of gratitude to |
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the members of the United States armed forces, who have answered the |
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call to defend our freedoms and who willingly shoulder |
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extraordinary burdens in service to our nation; and |
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WHEREAS, The families of military personnel likewise make |
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profound sacrifices, and for those who have lost a loved one to |
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suicide, the grief they experience is often compounded by social |
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stigma and feelings of isolation; and |
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WHEREAS, Far too many service members confront significant |
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challenges both during their military careers and as they |
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transition to civilian life; according to data published by the |
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 581 veterans in the State of |
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Texas died by suicide in 2023, representing a rate that's more than |
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double that of the state's general population; moreover, there has |
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been a significant increase in suicides among veterans between the |
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ages of 18 and 34 over the past quarter century; and |
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WHEREAS, The Green Star Service Banner was established by the |
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Green Star Families of America organization as a symbol of |
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recognition to be presented to the surviving families of veterans |
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who have died by suicide, with the goal of ensuring that the |
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families are accorded the acknowledgment, respect, and support they |
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deserve; drawing on the tradition of the Gold Star Service Banner, |
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which signifies the loss of a member of the military in the line of |
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duty, the Green Star banner features a Kelly green five-pointed |
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star, with the color signifying hope and growth in the heraldic |
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tradition; and |
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WHEREAS, Through its presentation, the Green Star Service |
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Banner is intended to provide enduring recognition of a veteran's |
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contributions while strengthening their loved ones' sense of |
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belonging in the military and veteran community; since launching |
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the initiative, the members of Green Star Families of America have |
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worked to secure widespread recognition of the banner and to build |
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greater public awareness around the issue of veteran suicide; and |
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WHEREAS, The Green Star Service Banner stands as a poignant |
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symbol of acknowledgment and remembrance, and it reminds us of our |
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solemn duty to commemorate the service of veterans lost to suicide |
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and the importance of offering compassion and kindness to their |
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families; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 90th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby officially recognize the Green Star Service Banner as a |
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symbol honoring the service and memory of veterans who died by |
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suicide and recognizing the families they leave behind. |