HM 37 — "MILITARY & VETERANS DAY"

HOUSEA MEMORIAL 37DECLARING 54THMARCH LEGISLATURE11, -2019 STATE"MILITARY OFAND NEWVETERANS MEXICODAY" -IN FIRSTTHE SESSION,HOUSE 2019OF INTRODUCEDREPRESENTATIVES. BY William B.

PrattWHEREAS, the United States was founded on the belief that Americans are guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty and Rodolphothe "Rudy"pursuit S.of happiness;

Martinez and EliseoWHEREAS, Leethis Alconfreedom andthat HarryAmericans Garciaenjoy anddoes Debranot M.come without a price;

Sariñanaand 7WHEREAS, 9this Afreedom MEMORIALis DECLARINGprotected MARCHby 11,those 2019who "MILITARYhave ANDserved VETERANSin DAY"the INUnited THEStates HOUSEarmed OFforces; REPRESENTATIVES.

14and WHEREAS, thebrave Unitedmilitary Statesmen wasand foundedwomen onhave thesacrificed beliefto thatpreserve Americansand areprotect guaranteed the inalienableAmerican rightsway of life,life libertyfrom andall theenemies, pursuitforeign ofand happiness;domestic;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, thisthroughout freedomthe thathistory Americansof enjoyNew doesMexico, notmilitary comeservice whas lbeen nimportant dto 18generations withoutof aresidents; price;

and =WHEREAS, =during 19pre-statehood aterritorial ldays, WHEREAS,farmers thisand freedomlandowners ishelped protectedthe byunion thosearmy whostop havethe ispread aof ethe rconfederacy 20at servedthe inbattle theof UnitedGlorieta Statesduring armedthis forces;nation's Civil War;

and a t m m 21 WHEREAS, braveNew militaryMexicans menhave andreadily womenanswered havethe sacrificednation's call to darms r— efrom 22World preserveWar andI protectthrough the Americanmost wayrecent ofwars lifein fromIraq all enemies, c e s k 23 foreign and domestic;Afghanistan;

and e a n b 24 u [ WHEREAS, throughout the history of New Mexico, military service has been important to generations of residents;

and .213461.1 WHEREAS, during pre-statehood territorial days, farmers and landowners helped the union army stop the spread of the confederacy at the battle of Glorieta during this nation's Civil War;

and WHEREAS, New Mexicans have readily answered the nation's 6 call to arms — from World War I through the most recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan;

and WHEREAS, with five military bases within New Mexico's HM 37 Page 1 borders today, eleven thousand active duty personnel, more than 12 five thousand reserve and national guard members and a total of one hundred fifty-six thousand veterans, military and veteran presence continues to be a vital part of the fabric of New Mexico;

and WHEREAS, veterans have a major impact on New Mexico's e e 17 economy;

and e e n d 18 WHEREAS, veterans account for one billion five hundred = = l ] 19 million dollars ($1,500,000,000) of benefits, services and a l r i 20 expenditures by the United States department of veterans t e a t affairs in the state;

and m m 21 e d WHEREAS, the average income of a veteran in New Mexico is r e 22 c e r c 23 forty thousand dollars ($40,000) a year, which is seventeen e a n b 24 thousand dollars ($17,000) more than that of non-veteran wage u [ earners in the state;

and .213461.1 - 2 - WHEREAS, there are twenty-five thousand veteran-owned businesses in New Mexico, accounting for nearly six billion five hundred million dollars ($6,500,000,000) in sales;

6 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that March 11, 2019 be declared "Military and Veterans Day" in the house of representatives to acknowledge and honor the service, sacrifice and overall impact of the nation's armed forces HM 37 Page 2 personnel and veterans in New Mexico as these men and women have rendered the 12 highest service any American can offer the country;

-HM 337 -Page e3 e8 1725 e e n d 18 = = l ] 19 a l r i 20 t e a t m m 21 e d r e 22 c e r c 23 e a n b 24 u [ .213461.1