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2003 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 589
Commending George Aguirre.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, January 10, 2003
Agreed to by the Senate, January 16, 2003

WHEREAS, George Aguirre of Colonial Heights has served his country for more than 50 years, on active duty with the Army Air Corps, as an advocate for veterans' organizations and as a community volunteer; and

WHEREAS, George Aguirre enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942, completed basic, aviation and airplane mechanic training, and was selected for specialized training as a bombardier, as well as highly classified advanced radar training on the B-24 at Langley Air Force Base; and

WHEREAS, during the Korean War, George Aguirre served at Waco, Kessler, and Lowry Air Force Bases, training in B-52 bombing and avionics maintenance; and

WHEREAS, George Aguirre was assigned to the 3rd Air Force, 47th Bomb Wing, 84th Bomb Squadron in England, an elite three-squadron force of 15 B-45 four-jet engine bombers especially equipped for unique one-way missions, armed with nuclear warheads and four hours, 15 minutes of fuel; and

WHEREAS, George Aguirre’s unit, prepared in the event of an outbreak of hostility, stood watch on high alert as the United States’ deterrent force during the early cold war; and

WHEREAS, chosen for his expertise in radar facilities for sensitive military assignments, George Aguirre served in the Philippines and the Eglin missile range; and

WHEREAS, George Aguirre became maintenance officer for the Strategic Air Command, which provided critical, 24-hour communication capability for United States air defenses during the Cuban crisis; and

WHEREAS, George Aguirre served in Vietnam and Japan, assigned to the 315th Air Division, deploying a communications detachment to South East Asia following the Tonkin Bay incident; and

WHEREAS, often faced with hardship and peril, including escape from enemy capture twice in Cuba, George Aguirre served his country with skill and diligence; and

WHEREAS, George Aguirre returned to Virginia in 1967 to become chief of maintenance for the 20th Air Division at Fort Lee, retiring from the military in 1970 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; and

WHEREAS, George Aguirre’s greatest contributions have been at home in Colonial Heights and as a dedicated school teacher at Petersburg High School for 11 years; and

WHEREAS, as founder and president of the Leigh Wade Chapter of the Air Force Association, George Aguirre received the presidential citation for his grand efforts on behalf of veterans; and

WHEREAS, as a dedicated member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Ann’s Catholic Church, George Aguirre gives freely and generously to volunteer projects to help people in need; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend George Aguirre, an outstanding Virginian; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to George Aguirre as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect and gratitude for his honorable military service and generous community spirit.