| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Every Memorial Day, millions of citizens across |
|
|
Texas and the nation gather to remember those heroic men and women |
|
|
in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our |
|
|
country; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Originally known as Decoration Day for the practice |
|
|
of decorating the graves of soldiers with flowers once a year, this |
|
|
holiday began after the Civil War as a remembrance of those who had |
|
|
died on both sides of the conflict; celebrated on May 30 in |
|
|
subsequent decades, the holiday came to be known as Memorial Day, a |
|
|
day to honor all of the country's fallen, in all of its wars; since |
|
|
the early 1970s, the day has been observed on the final Monday in |
|
|
May; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The nation's most solemn Memorial Day ceremony |
|
|
occurs in Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown |
|
|
Soldier, where the remains of unidentified Americans from World War |
|
|
I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War are interred in |
|
|
a marble monument and in the adjacent plaza; accompanied by honor |
|
|
guards from all branches of the military, the president of the |
|
|
United States traditionally lays a wreath at the tomb, and the |
|
|
ceremony is further solemnized by the sounding of "Taps," the |
|
|
haunting bugle call that has been performed at military funerals |
|
|
and memorials since the Civil War; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, At the same time, in cities large and small across |
|
|
the nation, veterans and their fellow citizens gather in cemeteries |
|
|
and other public places to remember fallen comrades and to pay |
|
|
tribute to those who died to protect our liberty; these ceremonies |
|
|
are also graced by the stirring echoes of "Taps," and by tradition, |
|
|
the United States flag is briskly raised to full staff at the |
|
|
beginning of the day and then lowered slowly to half staff, where it |
|
|
remains until noon, when it is raised to full staff again; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The toll of freedom is high; in the years since the |
|
|
founding of our republic, more than 800,000 American military |
|
|
personnel have died in battle, and each year, on Memorial Day, |
|
|
Americans gather to pay tribute to those courageous men and women |
|
|
who, in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, gave the last full |
|
|
measure of devotion; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby recognize Memorial Day 2015 in solemn |
|
|
commemoration of all those who have died in the service of the |
|
|
nation. |