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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, The 92nd birthday of an esteemed Texan is truly |
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| 6 | 7 | | cause for celebration, and Dr. Joseph Ernest Torres of El Paso |
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| 7 | 8 | | reached that impressive milestone on April 11, 2015; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born in El Paso in 1923, Dr. Torres graduated from |
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| 9 | 10 | | El Paso High School in 1941 and attended the Texas College of Mines |
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| 10 | 11 | | and Metallurgy before going to work as a recruiting agent with |
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| 11 | 12 | | Southern Pacific Railroad and as a trainee marine machinist in |
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| 12 | 13 | | Oakland, California; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Torres answered his nation's call to duty during |
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| 14 | 15 | | World War II and served as an infantryman in the United States Army |
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| 15 | 16 | | and as a B-17 bombardier and navigator in the U.S. Army Air Forces; |
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| 16 | 17 | | he flew 13 combat missions over Germany, and after the war, he |
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| 17 | 18 | | served in the reserves at the rank of lieutenant until 1947; and |
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| 18 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Following his military service, Dr. Torres resumed |
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| 19 | 20 | | his education at the College of Mines and Metallurgy, receiving his |
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| 20 | 21 | | bachelor's degree in 1948, and he went on to earn his dental degree |
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| 21 | 22 | | at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1952; in the late |
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| 22 | 23 | | 1950s, he returned to the Air Force Dental Reserves, attaining the |
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| 23 | 24 | | rank of colonel; and |
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| 24 | 25 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Torres has been in private practice as a dental |
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| 25 | 26 | | surgeon in El Paso for many years, and he continues to work today; a |
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| 26 | 27 | | leader in his profession, he has served as chair of the El Paso |
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| 27 | 28 | | District Dental Society and the West Texas Dental Society and as an |
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| 28 | 29 | | advisor to the El Paso Community College Dental Assistants Training |
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| 29 | 30 | | program; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, This caring and energetic gentleman has also devoted |
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| 31 | 32 | | much of his time and energy to giving back to his community, serving |
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| 32 | 33 | | on the board of St. Margaret's Children's Home and as a member of |
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| 33 | 34 | | the Knights of Columbus and the Kiwanis Club; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Torres has remained proud of his military |
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| 35 | 36 | | service, and he is an honorary member of the 82nd Airborne |
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| 36 | 37 | | Association, which presented him with a Certificate of Appreciation |
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| 37 | 38 | | for Meritorious and Exemplary Performance in Support of |
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| 38 | 39 | | International Freedom and Peace; a cofounder of the Legacy of Valor |
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| 39 | 40 | | organization and a leader in the effort to create a Vietnam Veterans |
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| 40 | 41 | | memorial in El Paso, he has also served as vice commander of the |
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| 41 | 42 | | Paso del Norte chapter of the American GI Forum; and |
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| 42 | 43 | | WHEREAS, For more than nine decades, Dr. Joseph Torres has |
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| 43 | 44 | | lived an exemplary life dedicated to the service of his nation and |
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| 44 | 45 | | his community, and he is a source of inspiration and wisdom to all |
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| 45 | 46 | | those who are privileged to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 46 | 47 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 47 | 48 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. Joseph Ernest Torres on his |
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| 48 | 49 | | 92nd birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued |
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| 49 | 50 | | success and happiness; and, be it further |
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| 50 | 51 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 51 | 52 | | prepared for Dr. Torres as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 52 | 53 | | House of Representatives. |
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