| 8 | | - | Sponsors: Representatives Price, Goodwin, Majeed, and Loftis (Primary Sponsors). |
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| 9 | | - | For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site. |
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| 10 | | - | Referred to: Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs, if favorable, State and |
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| 11 | | - | Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House |
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| 12 | | - | March 3, 2025 |
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| 13 | | - | *H254 -v-1* |
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| 9 | + | Sponsors: Representative Price. |
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| 10 | + | Referred to: |
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| 11 | + | |
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| 12 | + | *DRH40149 -LG-86* |
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| 14 | 13 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1 |
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| 15 | 14 | | AN ACT TO DESIGNATE THE FOURTH THURSDAY OF MARCH OF EVERY YEAR AS 2 |
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| 16 | 15 | | TUSKEGEE AIRMEN COMMEMORATION DAY IN NORTH CAROLINA . 3 |
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| 17 | 16 | | Whereas, in 1941 the federal government established the 66th Air Force Flying 4 |
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| 18 | 17 | | School at Tuskegee Institute to train African-American pilots for the war; and 5 |
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| 19 | 18 | | Whereas, from 1941 through 1946, almost 1,000 African-Americans trained at the 6 |
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| 20 | 19 | | Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama; and 7 |
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| 21 | 20 | | Whereas, 450 of the men who completed training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field 8 |
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| 22 | 21 | | were sent overseas for combat duty; and 9 |
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| 23 | 22 | | Whereas, pilots trained at Tuskegee Institute were known as "Tuskegee Airmen," 10 |
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| 24 | 23 | | although this phrase also later included navigators, bombardiers, instructors, and maintenance 11 |
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| 25 | 24 | | and support staff; and 12 |
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| 26 | 25 | | Whereas, the 99th Fighter Squadron, the first class trained at Tuskegee Institute, was 13 |
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| 27 | 26 | | sent to North Africa in the spring of 1943 for combat duty and in 1944, they were joined by other 14 |
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| 28 | 27 | | African-American squadrons to form the 332nd Fighter Squadron, which flew missions over 15 |
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| 29 | 28 | | Sicily, the Mediterranean, and North Africa; and 16 |
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| 30 | 29 | | Whereas, the Tuskegee Airmen compiled an outstanding record, which included 17 |
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| 31 | 30 | | completing more than 1,500 missions, destroying 260 enemy aircraft, sinking an enemy 18 |
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| 32 | 31 | | destroyer, and demolishing other enemy installation areas; and 19 |
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| 33 | 32 | | Whereas, the Tuskegee Airmen achieved an exceptional record for escorting bomber 20 |
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| 34 | 33 | | crews and earned the respect of their fellow bomber crews and their military leaders; and 21 |
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| 35 | 34 | | Whereas, on March 27, 2007, President George W. Bush awarded the Tuskegee 22 |
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| 36 | 35 | | Airmen the Congressional Gold, the highest medal awarded by the United States Congress; and 23 |
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| 37 | 36 | | Whereas, it is fitting that the State of North Carolina designate the fourth Thursday 24 |
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| 38 | 37 | | of March, of each year, to honor and perpetuate the legacy of the men and women who 25 |
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| 39 | 38 | | participated in the Tuskegee Experience from January 1941 through July 1949; Now, therefore, 26 |
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| 40 | 39 | | The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 27 |
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| 41 | 40 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 103 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 28 |
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| 42 | 41 | | section to read: 29 |
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| 43 | 42 | | "ยง 103-19. Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day. 30 |
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| 44 | 43 | | The fourth Thursday of March is designated as Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day in 31 |
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| 45 | 44 | | North Carolina." 32 |
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| 46 | 45 | | SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 33 |
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