H.R. No. 47

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Every Memorial Day, millions of citizens across
	Texas and the nation gather to remember those heroic men and women
	in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of our
	country; and
	WHEREAS, Originally known as Decoration Day for the practice
	of decorating the graves of soldiers with flowers once a year, this
	holiday began after the Civil War as a remembrance of those who had
	died on both sides of the conflict; celebrated on May 30 in
	subsequent decades, the holiday came to be known as Memorial Day, a
	day to honor all of the country's fallen, in all of its wars; since
	the early 1970s, the day has been observed on the final Monday in
	May; and
	WHEREAS, The nation's most solemn Memorial Day ceremony
	occurs in Arlington National Cemetery at the Tomb of the Unknown
	Soldier, where the remains of unidentified Americans from World War
	I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War are interred in
	a marble monument and in the adjacent plaza; accompanied by honor
	guards from all branches of the military, the president of the
	United States traditionally lays a
	wreath at the tomb, and the
	ceremony is further solemnized by the sounding of "Taps," the
	haunting bugle call that has been performed at military funerals
	and memorials since the Civil War; and
	WHEREAS, At the same time, in cities large and small across
	the nation, veterans and their fellow citizens gather in cemeteries
	and other public places to remember fallen comrades and to pay
	tribute to those who died to protect our liberty; these ceremonies
	are also graced by the stirring echoes of "Taps," and by tradition,
	the United States flag is briskly raised to full staff at the
	beginning of the day and then lowered slowly to half staff, where it
	remains until noon, when it is raised to full staff again; and
	WHEREAS, The toll of freedom is high; in the years since the
	founding of our republic, more than 800,000 American military
	personnel have died in battle, and each year, on Memorial Day,
	Americans gather to pay tribute to those courageous men and women
	who, in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, gave the last full
	measure of devotion; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
	Legislature hereby recognize Memorial Day 2016 in solemn
	commemoration of all those who have died in the service of the
	nation.
	Price
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 47 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on February 19, 2015.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House