Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HR1325 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R21336 JNC-D
2	2	By: Pickett H.R. No. 1325
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4	4
5	5	R E S O L U T I O N
6	6	WHEREAS, September 8, 2009, marks the 160th anniversary of
7	7	the establishment of Fort Bliss, and this occasion provides a
8	8	fitting opportunity to pay tribute to Major Jefferson Van Horne,
9	9	the founder and first commander of the post; and
10	10	WHEREAS, A native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Major Van
11	11	Horne was born to Dorothy Johns Marple Van Horne and General Isaac
12	12	Van Horne, a veteran of the American Revolution; following the
13	13	family tradition of military service, he graduated from the U.S.
14	14	Military Academy at West Point in 1827, and upheld its motto of
15	15	"Duty, Honor, Country" throughout his life; and
16	16	WHEREAS, His early assignments included frontier duty at
17	17	Jefferson Barracks in Missouri and a tour at Fort Smith, Arkansas;
18	18	from 1846 to 1848, he served his country in the Mexican War, and his
19	19	distinguished efforts earned him promotion to the rank of major;
20	20	and
21	21	WHEREAS, In May 1849, Major Van Horne was instructed to
22	22	establish a military post in what is now the El Paso County area; he
23	23	departed Camp Salado on June 1, commanding six companies of the
24	24	Third Infantry and supporting civilians, a total of nearly 400 men;
25	25	and
26	26	WHEREAS, With 275 wagons, the expedition represented the
27	27	longest wagon train to embark westward across Texas; after 100 days
28	28	and a 643-mile overland march, Major Van Horne and his men arrived
29	29	at their destination on September 8, 1849; and
30	30	WHEREAS, He served at the post until 1851 and went on to hold
31	31	positions in San Elizario, and Fort Filmore and Fort Stanton, New
32	32	Mexico; while on leave in his hometown of Zanesville, Ohio, he met
33	33	Mary Gilbert, and after exchanging romantic letters for two years,
34	34	the couple were married on November 28, 1850; together they had one
35	35	son, Lewis Cass Van Horne; and
36	36	WHEREAS, Major Van Horne's final duty was at the Post of
37	37	Albuquerque, where he passed away on September 28, 1857; in 1854,
38	38	the El Paso post he founded was named after Lieutenant Colonel
39	39	William Bliss, the private secretary, son-in-law, and chief of
40	40	staff to President Zachary Taylor; and
41	41	WHEREAS, The establishment of this important military
42	42	facility was accomplished by virtue of Major Van Horne's
43	43	leadership, hard work, and steadfast dedication to duty; these
44	44	values reflected the spirit of a dynamic and burgeoning nation,
45	45	pushing westward to establish new settlements and discover new
46	46	opportunities for growth and prosperity; now, therefore, be it
47	47	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
48	48	Legislature hereby recognize September 8, 2009, as Major Jefferson
49	49	Van Horne Remembrance Day in the State of Texas and commemorate the
50	50	160th anniversary of the arrival of Major Van Horne and his
51	51	expedition in El Paso; and, be it further
52	52	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
53	53	prepared for Major General Howard B. Bromberg, commander of Fort
54	54	Bliss and the Army Air Defense Artillery Center and School as an
55	55	expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.