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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, Every Memorial Day, millions of citizens across |
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| 6 | 7 | | Texas and the nation gather to remember those heroic men and women |
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| 7 | 8 | | in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our |
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| 8 | 9 | | country; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Originally known as Decoration Day for the practice |
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| 10 | 11 | | of decorating the graves of soldiers with flowers once a year, this |
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| 11 | 12 | | holiday began after the Civil War as a remembrance of those who had |
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| 12 | 13 | | died in the war; celebrated on May 30 in subsequent decades, the |
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| 13 | 14 | | holiday came to be known as Memorial Day, a day to honor all of the |
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| 14 | 15 | | country's fallen, in all of its wars; since the early 1970s, the day |
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| 15 | 16 | | has been observed on the last Monday in May; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, The nation's most solemn Memorial Day ceremony |
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| 17 | 18 | | occurs in Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown |
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| 18 | 19 | | Soldier, where the remains of unidentified Americans from World War |
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| 19 | 20 | | I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War are interred in |
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| 20 | 21 | | a marble monument and in the adjacent plaza; accompanied by honor |
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| 21 | 22 | | guards from all branches of the military, the president of the |
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| 22 | 23 | | United States traditionally lays a wreath at the tomb, and the |
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| 23 | 24 | | ceremony is further solemnized by the sounding of "Taps," the |
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| 24 | 25 | | haunting bugle call that has been performed at military funerals |
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| 25 | 26 | | and memorials since the Civil War; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, At the same time, in cities large and small across |
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| 27 | 28 | | the nation, veterans and their fellow citizens gather in cemeteries |
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| 28 | 29 | | and other public places to remember fallen comrades and to pay |
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| 29 | 30 | | tribute to those who died to protect our liberty and our republic; |
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| 30 | 31 | | these ceremonies are also graced by the stirring echoes of "Taps," |
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| 31 | 32 | | and by tradition, the United States flag is briskly raised to full |
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| 32 | 33 | | staff at the beginning of the day and then lowered slowly to half |
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| 33 | 34 | | staff, where it remains until noon, when it is raised to full staff |
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| 34 | 35 | | again; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, The toll of freedom is high; in the years since the |
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| 36 | 37 | | founding of our republic, more than one million American military |
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| 37 | 38 | | personnel have died in U.S. wars, and each year, on Memorial Day, |
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| 38 | 39 | | Americans gather to pay tribute to those courageous men and women |
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| 39 | 40 | | who, in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, gave the last full |
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| 40 | 41 | | measure of devotion; now, therefore, be it |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 42 | 43 | | Legislature hereby recognize Memorial Day 2021 in solemn |
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| 43 | 44 | | commemoration of all those who have died in the service of our |
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| 44 | 45 | | nation. |
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