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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The year 2015 marks the 59th anniversary of the |
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| 6 | 7 | | establishment of Dyess Air Force Base; and |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, During the outset of the Korean War, the City of |
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| 8 | 9 | | Abilene petitioned the Pentagon for a military installation at the |
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| 9 | 10 | | site of the former Tye Army Air Field, and the request won approval |
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| 10 | 11 | | of the United States Congress in 1952; the station's first combat |
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| 11 | 12 | | unit, the 341st Bombardment Wing, was activated in September 1955, |
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| 12 | 13 | | and the base opened the following April and soon thereafter was |
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| 13 | 14 | | renamed Dyess Air Force Base in honor of Lieutenant Colonel William |
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| 14 | 15 | | Edwin Dyess; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Dyess AFB has long played a crucial role in the |
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| 16 | 17 | | protection of America and its allies, defending against the nuclear |
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| 17 | 18 | | threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, supporting |
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| 18 | 19 | | operations during the Vietnam War, and contributing to the War on |
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| 19 | 20 | | Terror with deployments in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi |
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| 20 | 21 | | Freedom; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Throughout its history, Dyess AFB has housed an |
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| 22 | 23 | | impressive fleet of aircraft; the base received various models of |
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| 23 | 24 | | C-130 Hercules planes since 1961, and they were routinely flown in |
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| 24 | 25 | | missions in Vietnam; moreover, June 1985 marked the arrival of B-1B |
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| 25 | 26 | | Lancer bombers, which were first used in combat during Operation |
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| 26 | 27 | | Desert Fox in Iraq in 1998 and later supported U.S. and NATO |
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| 27 | 28 | | military forces in the War on Terror, and they continue to see |
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| 28 | 29 | | action in Southwest Asia; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Dyess AFB also draws many tourists to its Linear Air |
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| 30 | 31 | | Park; this notable collection of military aircraft features a C-130 |
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| 31 | 32 | | Hercules and the first operational B-1B Lancer, dubbed the Star of |
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| 32 | 33 | | Abilene, as well as 32 additional planes ranging in periods from |
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| 33 | 34 | | World War II to the present; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, For nearly six decades, Dyess Air Force Base has |
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| 35 | 36 | | made significant contributions to the military readiness of the |
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| 36 | 37 | | United States, and it is indeed fitting to take this opportunity to |
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| 37 | 38 | | recognize its notable history; now, therefore, be it |
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| 38 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 39 | 40 | | Legislature hereby commemorate the 59th anniversary of the |
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| 40 | 41 | | establishment of Dyess Air Force Base and extend to all those |
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| 41 | 42 | | associated with the base sincere best wishes for the future; and, be |
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| 42 | 43 | | it further |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 44 | 45 | | prepared for Dyess Air Force Base as an expression of high regard by |
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| 45 | 46 | | the Texas House of Representatives. |
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