85R16567 RMA-D
By: Cortez H.R. No. 1387
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Kelly Field, an asset shared by Port San Antonio and
the U.S. Air Force, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2017,
and this is a fitting opportunity to recognize its importance to the
history and prosperity of San Antonio and the Lone Star State; and
WHEREAS, Kelly Field was established by the U.S. Army Signal
Corps in 1917 as one of the world's first military airfields;
throughout the 1920s, such celebrated pilots as Charles Lindbergh
and Major General Claire Chennault trained there, and during World
War II, nearly 7,000 pilots received their flight training at the
facility; in 1948, it became Kelly Air Force Base, and throughout
the Cold War and the Vietnam War, it provided vital support to such
crucial aircraft as the B-52 strategic bomber, the F-5 and F-100
fighter planes, and the C-54 Skymaster, used in the Berlin Airlift;
and
WHEREAS, Long a key economic driver in the area, Kelly Field
was transformed in 2001 into Port San Antonio, a master-planned
aerospace and industrial complex that employs 12,000 workers and
contributes over $5 billion annually to the local economy; the
port's 1,900 acres include an industrial airport with the region's
longest runway, the 350-acre East Kelly Railport, and 10 million
square feet of hangars, workshops, warehouses, and offices; and
WHEREAS, The port's more than 70 public and private sector
tenants include such giants as Boeing and Lockheed Martin as well as
a number of advanced manufacturing firms; the facility is also home
to the national headquarters of the 24th Air Force, also known as
the Cyber Command, which is the hub for a growing number of private
cybersecurity firms at the port; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of the past century, Kelly Field and
Port San Antonio have played a vital role in the history of aviation
and in the defense of our nation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of Kelly Field
and Port San Antonio and extend to the port's board of directors,
management, staff, customers, and partners, including the U.S. Air
Force, sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it
further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Port San Antonio as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.