Bill Text: TX HCR141 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending artist George Skypeck for donating his painting The Spirit of the Alamo Lives On to the State of Texas.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-04-25 - Signed by the Governor [HCR141 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HCR141-Enrolled.html
H.C.R. No. 141 |
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WHEREAS, Combat veteran and celebrated military artist | ||
George L. Skypeck donated his painting The Spirit of the Alamo | ||
Lives On to the State of Texas, and it will be available for public | ||
viewing at the State Capitol beginning April 9, 2019; and | ||
WHEREAS, When Mr. Skypeck was recovering from wounds he | ||
received in Vietnam, he spent part of his recovery at the Audie | ||
L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital in San Antonio, and in appreciation | ||
of the kindness he received from Texans, he painted The Spirit of | ||
the Alamo Lives On; the piece depicts incidents from Texas military | ||
history, and the paint itself includes sand from Omaha Beach, the | ||
site of some of the fiercest fighting on D-Day in 1944; Mr. Skypeck | ||
donated the artwork to the state in 2009, and after being on display | ||
for a time at the Texas Veterans Commission, it is being rehung near | ||
the Medal of Honor hallway in the Capitol on April 9, 2019; and | ||
WHEREAS, A native of Massachusetts, George Skypeck served in | ||
the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1974, including two combat tours in | ||
Vietnam as a special warfare and senior intelligence advisor; | ||
during the Tet Offensive of 1968, he commanded 50 men in the defense | ||
of the Ben Tre outpost; his numerous decorations include two Bronze | ||
Stars, a Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, three Air | ||
Medals, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge; he left the army in 1974 | ||
at the rank of captain; and | ||
WHEREAS, In civilian life, Mr. Skypeck earned a bachelor's | ||
degree in political science and a master's degree in public | ||
administration from the University of Massachusetts, and he also | ||
studied at the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington, D.C.; a | ||
disabled veteran himself, he has won international acclaim for | ||
paintings honoring the men and women who have served in our nation's | ||
armed forces; his work is on display around the world, in such | ||
places as the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol, the ministries of defense | ||
in South Korea and Germany, and the headquarters of the American | ||
Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and NATO; his military | ||
service and creative contributions have been honored with many | ||
awards, including the George Washington Medallion of Merit from the | ||
Military Order of the Purple Heart; and | ||
WHEREAS, George Skypeck has dedicated his life and his art to | ||
supporting and recognizing his fellow veterans, and his generous | ||
gift to the people of Texas will hang with honor in the State | ||
Capitol, inspiring countless visitors for years to come; now, | ||
therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 86th Texas Legislature hereby commend | ||
George Skypeck for his donation of The Spirit of the Alamo Lives On | ||
to the State of Texas and extend to him sincere best wishes for the | ||
future; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for Mr. Skypeck as an expression of high regard by the | ||
Texas House of Representatives and Senate. | ||
Springer | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.C.R. No. 141 was adopted by the House on | ||
April 8, 2019, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.C.R. No. 141 was adopted by the Senate on | ||
April 16, 2019, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |