TITLE: Paying tribute to Rodolfo, Marcos, Alejandro, Vicente, Jose, and Arturo Torres for their service in the armed forces of the United States of America.

SUMMARY: Paying tribute to Rodolfo, Marcos, Alejandro, Vicente, Jose, and Arturo Torres for their service in the armed forces of the United States of America.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The Torres family of Dallas has made a significant contribution to the defense of our nation by sending six brothers to serve in the United States armed forces, with their combined tenure in uniform totaling 56 years; and WHEREAS, These patriotic Texans were born to Vincent and Manuela Torres, who had met in Texas after immigrating to the United States from Mexico during their youth; after initially living in Malakoff, the couple and their children moved to Oak Cliff in 1940, and the children were students at Crozier Technical High School and other local schools; and WHEREAS, In 1944, Rodolfo Torres, the eldest son, turned 18 and began the family's tradition of military service when he became a member of the U.S. Army; he fought in the Philippines during the closing years of World War II and was a member of the Texas National Guard from 1947 to 1981; and WHEREAS, Marcos Ruelas Torres followed his older brother into the army in 1948; he was among the U.S. forces to take part in the Korean War, suffering both a bullet wound to his hand and frostbite during desperate winter fighting against Chinese and North Korean troops, but he survived his combat experiences and returned home in 1951; and WHEREAS, The next family member to take up arms was Alejandro Torres, who was a member of the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955 and was assigned to a submarine base in Hawaii for much of his tenure; even before Alejandro concluded his service, Vicente Torres, Jr., entered the army and was stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington during a two-year term of duty that began in 1953; and WHEREAS, Jose Torres chose to fulfill his military commitment in the U.S. Air Force from 1958 to 1963 and spent part of that time at Webb Air Force Base in Big Spring; the last of the brothers to enter the armed forces was Arturo Torres; while in the army from 1963 to 1969, he fought in Vietnam, marking the third war that a family member had participated in; and WHEREAS, These courageous individuals ably carried out their military duties, and three of the brothers received medals for their actions; moreover, several of the family members became active in the American G.I. Forum, which helped to champion the rights of Hispanic American servicemen; though Rodolfo Torres passed away in 2009, the rest of the brothers continue to live in Texas and are staunch advocates of military service, often encouraging young Latinos to consider enlisting; and WHEREAS, The members of this remarkable family have established a notable record of service in behalf of their fellow citizens, and their sacrifices and contributions are indeed deserving of recognition; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to Rodolfo, Marcos, Alejandro, Vicente, Jose, and Arturo Torres for their valiant service in the armed forces of the United States of America; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the family as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Alonzo Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 101 was adopted by the House on June 28, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House