H.R. No. 101
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Torres family of Dallas has made a significant
contribution to the defense of our nation by sending six brothers to
serve in the United States armed forces, with their combined tenure
in uniform totaling 56 years; and
WHEREAS, These patriotic Texans were born to Vincent and
Manuela Torres, who had met in Texas after immigrating to the United
States from Mexico during their youth; after initially living in
Malakoff, the couple and their children moved to Oak Cliff in 1940,
and the children were students at Crozier Technical High School and
other local schools; and
WHEREAS, In 1944, Rodolfo Torres, the eldest son, turned 18
and began the family's tradition of military service when he became
a member of the U.S. Army; he fought in the Philippines during the
closing years of World War II and was a member of the Texas National
Guard from 1947 to 1981; and
WHEREAS, Marcos Ruelas Torres followed his older brother into
the army in 1948; he was among the U.S. forces to take part in the
Korean War, suffering both a bullet wound to his hand and frostbite
during desperate winter fighting against Chinese and North Korean
troops, but he survived his combat experiences and returned home in
1951; and
WHEREAS, The next family member to take up arms was Alejandro
Torres, who was a member of the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955 and was
assigned to a submarine base in Hawaii for much of his tenure; even
before Alejandro concluded his service, Vicente Torres, Jr.,
entered the army and was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington
during a two-year term of duty that began in 1953; and
WHEREAS, Jose Torres chose to fulfill his military commitment
in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1963 and spent part of that time
at Webb Air Force Base in Big Spring; the last of the brothers to
enter the armed forces was Arturo Torres; while in the army from
1963 to 1969, he fought in Vietnam, marking the third war that a
family member had participated in; and
WHEREAS, These courageous individuals ably carried out their
military duties, and three of the brothers received medals for
their actions; moreover, several of the family members became
active in the American G.I. Forum, which helped to champion the
rights of Hispanic American servicemen; though Rodolfo Torres
passed away in 2009, the rest of the brothers continue to live in
Texas and are staunch advocates of military service, often
encouraging young Latinos to consider enlisting; and
WHEREAS, The members of this remarkable family have
established a notable record of service in behalf of their fellow
citizens, and their sacrifices and contributions are indeed
deserving of recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to Rodolfo,
Marcos, Alejandro, Vicente, Jose, and Arturo Torres for their
valiant service in the armed forces of the United States of America;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the family as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Alonzo
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 101 was adopted by the House on June
28, 2011, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House