Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HR527 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 527
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Thadd Harrison
6	6	Blanton is being posthumously honored with the unveiling of an
7	7	Official Texas Historical Marker on February 25, 2023, in
8	8	Gainesville; and
9	9	WHEREAS, Born in Windthorst and raised in Gainesville, Thadd
10	10	Blanton attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College before
11	11	enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940; he was commissioned as
12	12	a second lieutenant, and he served as a B-25 pilot with the 37th
13	13	Bomb Squadron at Pendleton Field in Oregon; and
14	14	WHEREAS, In early 1942, Captain Blanton volunteered for the
15	15	Doolittle Raid, a secret mission that was the first World War II
16	16	attack on the Japanese home islands; serving as copilot of Crew
17	17	No. 12 of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, he lifted off from the
18	18	USS Hornet aboard the Fickle Finger of Fate, a B-25 bomber, on April
19	19	18 of that year; his crew completed a bombing mission over Yokohama,
20	20	Japan, and then were forced to bail out over China when their
21	21	aircraft ran out of fuel; and
22	22	WHEREAS, This courageous aviator next served with the 7th
23	23	Bombardment Group and the 341st Bombardment Group in India before
24	24	flying with the 430th Bomb Squadron and then the 99th Bomb Squadron
25	25	based at Pinecastle Army Airfield in Florida; from 1946 through
26	26	1949, he was the test, executive, and operations officer with the
27	27	First Experimental Guided Missiles Group at Eglin Air Force Base in
28	28	Florida; his accomplished service was recognized with a series of
29	29	promotions, and he ultimately attained the rank of lieutenant
30	30	colonel; and
31	31	WHEREAS, Over the final years of his career, Lieutenant
32	32	Colonel Blanton held such roles as commander of the Grand Bahama
33	33	Auxiliary Air Force Base and commander of the Headquarters Squadron
34	34	Section, 13th Air Force, at Clark Air Base; in 1959 and 1960, he was
35	35	special assistant to the deputy chief of staff for operations of the
36	36	13th Air Force; his commendations included the Distinguished Flying
37	37	Cross and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A,
38	38	First Grade; he retired on November 15, 1960, and he passed away on
39	39	September 27, 1961, at the age of 42; and
40	40	WHEREAS, Demonstrating remarkable heroism, Thadd Blanton
41	41	courageously served his nation during World War II, and Americans
42	42	owe a debt to this valiant Texan that the passage of time can never
43	43	diminish; now, therefore, be it
44	44	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
45	45	Legislature hereby commemorate the unveiling of an Official Texas
46	46	Historical Marker posthumously honoring U.S. Air Force Lieutenant
47	47	Colonel Thadd Harrison Blanton and extend sincere best wishes to
48	48	all those in attendance for a meaningful and memorable event; and,
49	49	be it further
50	50	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
51	51	prepared for the family of Lieutenant Colonel Blanton as an
52	52	expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
53	53	Spiller
54	54	______________________________
55	55	Speaker of the House
56	56	I certify that H.R. No. 527 was adopted by the House on March
57	57	16, 2023, by a non-record vote.
58	58	______________________________
59	59	Chief Clerk of the House