SM 83 — "MILITARY AND VETERANS' DAY"

SENATEA MEMORIAL 83DECLARING 54THMARCH LEGISLATURE-11, STATE2019 OF"MILITARY NEWAND MEXICOVETERANS' -DAY" FIRSTIN SESSIO,THE 2019SENATE. INTRODUCED BY William H.

Payne5 6WHEREAS, 8this 10nation Awas MEMORIALfounded DECLARINGon MARCHthe 11,belief 2019that "MILITARYAmericans ANDare VETERANS'guaranteed DAY"the INinalienable THErights SENATE.of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness;

14and WHEREAS, thisthe nationfreedom wasAmericans foundedenjoy ondoes thenot beliefcome thatwithout Americansa areprice, guaranteedas theit inalienableis rightsprotected ofby life,those libertywho andhave served in the pursuitUnited ofStates happiness;armed forces;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, theAmerica's freedombrave Americansmilitary enjoymen doesand notwomen comehave withoutsacrificed wto lpreserve nand dprotect 18America's away price,of aslife itfrom isall protectedenemies, byboth thoseforeign whoand havedomestic; served in the = = 19 a l United States armed forces;

and iWHEREAS, athroughout eNew rMexico's 20history, WHEREAS, America's brave military menservice andhas womenbeen haveimportant a t m m 21 sacrificed to preserveNew andMexicans; protect America's way of life from d r e 22 all enemies, both foreign and domestic;

and cWHEREAS, eduring spre-statehood kterritorial 23days, WHEREAS,farmers throughoutand Newlandowners Mexico'shelped history,the militaryunion servicearmy estop athe nspread bof 24the hasconfederacy beenat importantthe tobattle Newof Mexicans;Glorieta during the Civil War;

and u [ WHEREAS, during pre-statehood territorial days, farmers .213540.1 and landowners helped the union army stop the spread of the confederacy at the battle of Glorieta during the Civil War;

and SM 83 Page 1 WHEREAS, with five military bases within New Mexico's borders today, along with eleven thousand active-duty personnel, more than five thousand reserve and national guard members and one hundred fifty-six thousand veterans, the 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 economy, and account for one billion five hundred million e e 17 dollars ($1,500,000,000) in benefits, services and expenditures e e n d 18 by the United States department of veterans affairs in the = = l ] 19 state;

and a l r i 20 WHEREAS, the average income of a veteran in New Mexico is t e a t forty thousand dollars ($40,000), seventeen thousand dollars m m 21 e d r e 22 ($17,000) more than non-veteran wage earners;

and c e r c 23 WHEREAS, there are twenty-five thousand veteran-owned e a n b 24 businesses in New Mexico, accounting for nearly six billion u [ five hundred million dollars ($6,500,000,000) in economic .213540.1 - 2 - activity, and after veterans have served their country, they continue to serve New Mexico's economy;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be SM 83 Page 2 sent to the governor, the adjutant general and the secretary of veterans' services.

-SM 383 -Page 133 154 e6 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 [ .213540.1