84R25241 RMA-D
By: King of Taylor H.R. No. 2336
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The year 2015 marks the 59th anniversary of the
establishment of Dyess Air Force Base; and
WHEREAS, During the outset of the Korean War, the City of
Abilene petitioned the Pentagon for a military installation at the
site of the former Tye Army Air Field, and the request won approval
of the United States Congress in 1952; the station's first combat
unit, the 341st Bombardment Wing, was activated in September 1955,
and the base opened the following April and soon thereafter was
renamed Dyess Air Force Base in honor of Lieutenant Colonel William
Edwin Dyess; and
WHEREAS, Dyess AFB has long played a crucial role in the
protection of America and its allies, defending against the nuclear
threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, supporting
operations during the Vietnam War, and contributing to the War on
Terror with deployments in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi
Freedom; and
WHEREAS, Throughout its history, Dyess AFB has housed an
impressive fleet of aircraft; the base received various models of
C-130 Hercules planes since 1961, and they were routinely flown in
missions in Vietnam; moreover, June 1985 marked the arrival of B-1B
Lancer bombers, which were first used in combat during Operation
Desert Fox in Iraq in 1998 and later supported U.S. and NATO
military forces in the War on Terror, and they continue to see
action in Southwest Asia; and
WHEREAS, Dyess AFB also draws many tourists to its Linear Air
Park; this notable collection of military aircraft features a C-130
Hercules and the first operational B-1B Lancer, dubbed the Star of
Abilene, as well as 32 additional planes ranging in periods from
World War II to the present; and
WHEREAS, For nearly six decades, Dyess Air Force Base has
made significant contributions to the military readiness of the
United States, and it is indeed fitting to take this opportunity to
recognize its notable history; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 59th anniversary of the
establishment of Dyess Air Force Base and extend to all those
associated with the base sincere best wishes for the future; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Dyess Air Force Base as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives.