House Joint Resolution 25-1018
Page 1, Line 101Concerning recognition of the contributions of Latina and
Page 1, Line 102Latino veterans.
Page 1, Line 1WHEREAS, A diverse group with shared history and culture that
Page 1, Line 2identifies as Latina/o, Hispanic, and Chicana/o, among other shared
Page 1, Line 3identities, including many faiths, orientations, and all gender identities
Page 1, Line 4has fought in support of the United States and the cause of freedom in every American conflict since the American Revolution; and
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Page 1, Line 6WHEREAS, During the Revolutionary War, Colonel Bernardo de
Page 1, Line 7Galvez, the Spanish governor of the Louisiana territories, and his men
Page 1, Line 8helped General George Washington and the Continental Army defeat the British forces advancing into the then-southwestern U.S. territories; and
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Page 1, Line 10WHEREAS, In the 150 years following the American Revolution,
Page 2, Line 1Latina/o service members fought with distinction in support of the United
Page 2, Line 2States in conflicts including the Spanish-American War and World War
Page 2, Line 3I. During World War II, Latina/o contributions in the Armed Forces increased extraordinarily; and
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Page 2, Line 5WHEREAS, Nearly 500,000 Latina/o Americans, many of them
Page 2, Line 6women and the children of immigrants, fought for the cause of freedom
Page 2, Line 7in World War II, among them the 158th Regimental Combat Team,
Page 2, Line 8nicknamed the "Bushmasters", and Company E of the 141st Infantry Regiment, which consisted entirely of Mexican-American soldiers; and
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Page 2, Line 10WHEREAS, In 1948, in the aftermath of World War II, Dr. Hector
Page 2, Line 11Garcia founded the American GI Forum to ensure educational, medical,
Page 2, Line 12housing, and other benefits and services for Latina/o veterans. Dr. Garcia
Page 2, Line 13and the American GI Forum worked diligently to secure equal access to
Page 2, Line 14benefits, and in 1984, Dr. Garcia was the first Mexican American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and
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Page 2, Line 16WHEREAS, In the Korean War, the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry
Page 2, Line 17Regiment, also known as "the Borinqueneers", served with distinction and
Page 2, Line 18valor; for their efforts, they were awarded two Presidential Unit Citations,
Page 2, Line 19a Meritorious Unit Commendation, and two Republic of Korea
Page 2, Line 20Presidential Unit Citations. In 2014, the unit was recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal; and
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Page 2, Line 22WHEREAS, During the Vietnam War, more than 80,000 Latina/o
Page 2, Line 23service members served, 22 of whom were awarded the Congressional
Page 2, Line 24Medal of Honor; Latinas/os have also served the United States in the Global War on Terrorism, Gulf Wars, and elsewhere; and
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Page 2, Line 26WHEREAS, In total, 59 Hispanic or Latina/o veterans have been
Page 2, Line 27awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for service in the United
Page 2, Line 28States Armed Forces; the medal is the country's highest award for military valor; and
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Page 2, Line 30WHEREAS, Today, more than 200,000 Latinas/os are active duty
Page 2, Line 31members of the Armed Forces, and more than 1.5 million Latina/o veterans call the United States, including Colorado, home; now, therefore,
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Page 2, Line 33Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:
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Page 3, Line 1That we, the members of the General Assembly, recognize and
Page 3, Line 2commend the efforts and sacrifice of the millions of Latinas/os who have
Page 3, Line 3served the cause of freedom as part of the Armed Forces of the United States.
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Page 3, Line 5Be It Further Resolved, That a copy of this Joint Resolution be sent to the American GI Forum of Colorado.