Bill Text: TX HR527 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the unveiling of an Official Texas Historical Marker posthumously honoring U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Thadd Harrison Blanton.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-03-17 - Reported enrolled [HR527 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR527-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 527 | ||
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| WHEREAS, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Thadd Harrison | ||
| Blanton is being posthumously honored with the unveiling of an | ||
| Official Texas Historical Marker on February 25, 2023, in | ||
| Gainesville; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Born in Windthorst and raised in Gainesville, Thadd | ||
| Blanton attended Southwest Texas State Teachers College before | ||
| enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1940; he was commissioned as | ||
| a second lieutenant, and he served as a B-25 pilot with the 37th | ||
| Bomb Squadron at Pendleton Field in Oregon; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In early 1942, Captain Blanton volunteered for the | ||
| Doolittle Raid, a secret mission that was the first World War II | ||
| attack on the Japanese home islands; serving as copilot of Crew | ||
| No. 12 of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders, he lifted off from the | ||
| USS Hornet aboard the Fickle Finger of Fate, a B-25 bomber, on April | ||
| 18 of that year; his crew completed a bombing mission over Yokohama, | ||
| Japan, and then were forced to bail out over China when their | ||
| aircraft ran out of fuel; and | ||
| WHEREAS, This courageous aviator next served with the 7th | ||
| Bombardment Group and the 341st Bombardment Group in India before | ||
| flying with the 430th Bomb Squadron and then the 99th Bomb Squadron | ||
| based at Pinecastle Army Airfield in Florida; from 1946 through | ||
| 1949, he was the test, executive, and operations officer with the | ||
| First Experimental Guided Missiles Group at Eglin Air Force Base in | ||
| Florida; his accomplished service was recognized with a series of | ||
| promotions, and he ultimately attained the rank of lieutenant | ||
| colonel; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Over the final years of his career, Lieutenant | ||
| Colonel Blanton held such roles as commander of the Grand Bahama | ||
| Auxiliary Air Force Base and commander of the Headquarters Squadron | ||
| Section, 13th Air Force, at Clark Air Base; in 1959 and 1960, he was | ||
| special assistant to the deputy chief of staff for operations of the | ||
| 13th Air Force; his commendations included the Distinguished Flying | ||
| Cross and the Chinese Army, Navy, and Air Corps Medal, Class A, | ||
| First Grade; he retired on November 15, 1960, and he passed away on | ||
| September 27, 1961, at the age of 42; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Demonstrating remarkable heroism, Thadd Blanton | ||
| courageously served his nation during World War II, and Americans | ||
| owe a debt to this valiant Texan that the passage of time can never | ||
| diminish; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby commemorate the unveiling of an Official Texas | ||
| Historical Marker posthumously honoring U.S. Air Force Lieutenant | ||
| Colonel Thadd Harrison Blanton and extend sincere best wishes to | ||
| all those in attendance for a meaningful and memorable event; and, | ||
| be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for the family of Lieutenant Colonel Blanton as an | ||
| expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. | ||
| Spiller | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 527 was adopted by the House on March | ||
| 16, 2023, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
