H.R. No. 1176
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Members of the Texas Maritime Regiment of the Texas
State Guard are marching from Camp Mabry to the State Capitol on
April 9, 2011, to commemorate the 69th anniversary of the Bataan
Death March; and
WHEREAS, In December 1941, hours after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor, the Japanese attacked United States military bases in the
Philippines; ground forces invaded two weeks later and drove
American and Filipino troops from Manila to the Bataan Peninsula,
where they fought desperately in the mountainous jungles; cut off
from supply lines, the Americans and Filipinos ran out of food and
ammunition, and their ranks were decimated by hunger and disease;
and
WHEREAS, U.S. General Edward King surrendered Bataan on April
9, 1942; the next day, some 76,000 Americans and Filipinos were
forced to begin marching to a prisoner-of-war camp more than 60
miles away, under the broiling sun with little food and almost no
water; soldiers who paused or fell were summarily executed, along
with anyone who tried to help them; as many as 11,000 died en route
from thirst, starvation, disease, and brutality; eventually,
American prisoners of war were transported to slave labor camps in
Asia or interned in the camp at Cabanatuan, where 500 who survived
were finally liberated three years later by an elite Ranger
battalion and the Philippine resistance; and
WHEREAS, Citizens of this nation owe an immeasurable debt to
the soldiers who fought against overwhelming odds in Bataan, and
the courage, patriotism, and resolve they demonstrated under the
most extreme deprivation and hardship remain a lasting source of
inspiration; it is indeed fitting to pay tribute to those who
perished and those who survived the brutal march and suffered
further trials as prisoners of war; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 69th anniversary of the Bataan
Death March and honor the profound sacrifice of the valiant
soldiers who risked all out of love for their country and dedication
to our freedom.
Flynn
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1176 was adopted by the House on April
7, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House