H.R. No. 783
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Members of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of
America organization are sponsoring the Rio Grande Valley VA
Hospital March to San Antonio on March 14-20, 2009, to raise
awareness of the need for a VA hospital in the Valley region; and
WHEREAS, The second event of its kind, the 250-mile march
begins at the Sekula Memorial Library in Edinburg, which was named
for the late U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Dustin Michael Sekula, and
culminates at the nearest VA hospital, the Audie L. Murphy Memorial
Veterans Hospital in San Antonio; the first march, which was
organized by America's Last Patrol, took place in November 2005 and
helped to revive this long-standing issue; and
WHEREAS, Although the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
operates several outpatient clinics in the Valley, these facilities
do not offer the full range of services, including testing and
therapy, that are available in San Antonio; and
WHEREAS, Iraq war veterans Jesus Bocanegra and Rey Leal are
coordinating the march, and they expect to be joined by fellow
members of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America as well as by
veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Operation Desert
Storm; and
WHEREAS, The health and well-being of veterans in the Rio
Grande Valley depend on convenient access to a VA hospital, and it
is indeed fitting to recognize the outstanding efforts of the
members of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America in working to
achieve this noble goal; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the Rio Grande Valley VA Hospital
March to San Antonio and extend to all those involved sincere best
wishes for a safe and successful event.
Pea
Flores
Gonzales
Rios Ybarra
Lucio III
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 783 was adopted by the House on March
12, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House