[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 25 (Tuesday, March 2, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN HONOR OF TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY

  (Mr. LAMPSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Texas' 
Independence Day, March 2, 1836, the day that Texas declared its 
independence from Mexico.
  On that fateful day, the Texas Declaration of Independence from 
Mexico was signed by State delegates and began Texans' journey to 
joining the United States in 1845. As all Texans know, this was not a 
calm time or serene event. Indeed, as the delegates prepared the very 
document itself, the Alamo, the famous mission in San Antonio, and our 
ancestors were literally under siege by the Mexican army. And as all 
Americans know, the battle of the Alamo was one of the greatest in 
American history where 189 brave Texans gave their lives, pushing back 
around 1,600 opposing soldiers in what became the strategic turning 
point in the ultimate and successful push for Texas independence.
  Mr. Speaker, as we pause again to commemorate Texas on its most 
important anniversary, I also rise to recognize the countless important 
contributions that Texans have given to our great Nation since those 
tumultuous times. Thousands of brave Texas men and women, including 
many from the Ninth District, bravely serve in our armed forces, and 
Texas continually produces great civic and business leaders, strongly 
promotes the arts, and proudly serves as an international hub of 
commerce and culture.
  So I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the great State of 
Texas on this momentous occasion, to honor all the heroes who gave 
their lives so that Texas eventually won its hard-fought independence, 
and to salute Texans who defend our Nation and promote peace and 
America's interests worldwide.

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