House Joint Resolution 25-1013

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 25-1013

BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Carter and Keltie, Camacho, Armagost, Bacon, Barron, Boesenecker, Bottoms, Bradfield, Bradley, Brown, Caldwell, Clifford, DeGraaf, Duran, Espenoza, Feret, Froelich, Garcia Sander, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Jackson, Johnson, Joseph, Lieder, Lindsay, Lukens, Mabrey, Martinez, McCluskie, McCormick, Paschal, Pugliese, Richardson, Ricks, Rydin, Smith, Soper, Stewart K., Stewart R., Story, Taggart, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Weinberg, Winter T., Woodrow, Woog, Bird, Brooks, English, Garcia, Gilchrist, Lindstedt, Luck, Mauro, Phillips, Rutinel, Sirota, Suckla, Willford;

also SENATOR(S) Frizell and Marchman, Amabile, Baisley, Ball, Bridges, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Cutter, Danielson, Daugherty, Exum, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jaquez Lewis, Jodeh, Kipp, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Liston, Lundeen, Michaelson Jenet, Pelton B., Pelton R., Rich, Roberts, Rodriguez, Simpson, Snyder, Weissman, Winter F., Coleman.

CONCERNING HONORING COLORADO VETERANS ON THE EIGHTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF WORLD WAR II.

WHEREAS, During the years 1941 to 1945, some 250,000 of Colorado's sons and daughters served in World War II, and of those, over 3,500 were killed in action or from wounds suffered on the battlefield; and

WHEREAS, Of the 3,586 Coloradans who gave the last full measure of devotion, offering their lives so that others might live freely, over half never came home; their remains were left unrecovered or buried in American military cemeteries around the world; and

WHEREAS, The State of Colorado has a rich history of service in World War II as home of the famed 10th Mountain Division, which trained in the Colorado Rockies at Camp Hale on Tennessee Pass, and the Colorado National Guard's 157th Infantry Regiment, which spent 511 days in continuous combat during World War II, including four amphibious landings. Under the command of Captain Felix Sparks, the 157th Infantry Regiment liberated the Dachau concentration camp. Members of both units from Colorado are honored on the Colorado Freedom Memorial in Aurora; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado Freedom Memorial, dedicated in 2013, honors all Colorado veterans killed in action since the Spanish-American War, and all 3,586 of those killed in World War II are included, making the Colorado Freedom Memorial the only memorial in Colorado to honor all of our fallen, by name, in one place; and

WHEREAS, The Colorado Freedom Memorial pays tribute to the men and women of Colorado who served in World War II, those who gave all, and those who returned home to build Colorado into the beautiful state it is today; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:

That we, the General Assembly, in recognition of the heroic efforts and great sacrifice of World War II veterans from Colorado and across the United States, hereby recognize this commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and encourage support throughout the Senate and the House of Representatives.