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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Resolutions (R-73-69)-12/31/1973 City of Co1leyvi1le, Texas Resolution R-73-69 WHEREaS, It has since the beginning of our existence as a nation been fendamenta1 that the security of the United States depends on the individual's acceptance of the responsibilities of active c1tizenship, including the contribution of a person's talents, leadership and service in the defense of our nation; and WHEREAS, The Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or ROTC, has for many years served as the training ground for the military officers who lead our military services in times of conflict and who train and maintain our modern combat-ready reserve forces; and WHEREAS, The Reserve Officers' Training Corps has throuthout its long and glorious history proved to be one of the most successful and critically important programs ever developed and implemented by the United States; and ,- WHEREAS, The idea of providing military training to college men was first approved by the United States Congress when it passed the Land-Grant Act of 1862 providing for the sale of government lands to establish colleges and universities and requiring these land-grant institutions to teach agriculture, the mechanic arts and other scien- tific and classic studies including military tactics; at least 1,345 officers from land-grant schools served on active duty during the Spanish-American War; and WHEREAS, The ROTC program in civilian colleges and universities was offiCially established by the National Defense Act of 1916; prompted by the fighting of World War 1 in Europe, the National Defense Act of 1916 established an Officers' Reserve Corps to be composed of men pre- pared through a Reserve Officers' Training Corps; most of the 90,000 members of the Officers' Reserve Corps who served on active duty in World War I received their military instructions in the ROTC in civilian institutions; and WHEREAS, The true value of the ROTC program and the high quality of officers it produces were dramatically shown by World War II; during the rapid build up of military forces in 1941. over 50,000 ROTC officers were called to active duty allowing an other- wise impossible expansion of forces to be accomplished during one of the most critical times in United States history; well over 100,000 ROTC graduates served as commissi~ned officers during World War II, many more than the number of officers commissioned from the nation's military academies; and Resolution R-73-69 Page 2 WHEREAS, The ROTC program of today continues to provide the armed forces of our country with the well trained and responsible leader which they need to protect the security of our nation; and WHEREAS, The Reserve Offioers' Training Corps is not only an indispensable and major souroe of military offioers but is recognized as muoh more; it provides the nation with citizen-soldiers who serve their nation in the finest tradition of servioe to one's country by oon- tributing time and energy to the reserve foroes of the nation; and WHEREAS, The ROTC program and the qua:6ties which it teaohes and instills in its oadets and midshipmen have proved beyond any doubt to be of inestimable value to the cadets and midshipmen themselves in their oivilian oareers; approximately four peroent of all oollege male graduates today have had the benefit of ROTC, but this relatively small group has produoed 2) peroent of the men who earn over $100,000 annually, 16 percent of our state governors, 24 peroent of our senators and 16 percent of our oangressmen; and WHEREAS, Amerioan business and industry recognize the greater potential of ROTC graduates, and many oompanies have established preferences for ROTC graduates; a substantial peroentage of dootors, lawyers and other professional persons have also had the benefit of ROTC training; and WHEREAS, The ROTC program also enables numerous students, who would otherwise be unable to attend college or who would be foroed to disoontinue their eduoation due to finanoial diffioulties, to obtain college degrees through the ROTC SCholarship program; at the present time, 19,000 SCholarships are given to deserving cadets and midshipmen across the natbn annually; these soholarships pay for all academio expenses, except room and board, and pay an additional $100 tax-free stipend for up to ten months of eaoh scholastio year; and WHEREAS, The Reserve Offioers' Training Corps offers to the young men and women of the United States a unique opportunity to serve their oountry and to aoquire slrills. disoipline, responsibility and leadership ability which will qualify them for outstanding job opportunities in civilian life; and WHEREAS, It is greatly important that the Reserve Offioers' Training Corps be given the fullest support pOSSible by the oitizenry of the United States as one of the most effective programs available which benefits the nation and strengthens the youth of America today; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLLEYVILLE, That by this Resolution the City Council of the City of Colleyville staunohly supports the Reserve Offioers' Training Corps as the strongest link in the traditional role of the citizen-soldier in this country and as one of the most outstanding programs for produoing military offioers and future leaders for our nation, and, be it further Resolution R-73-69 Page 3 RESOLVED, That the City Council of the City of Colleyvi11e strongly recommends to all college and university students that they talre advantage of the tremendous opportunity for training and achievement which the Reserve Officers' Training Corps presents. .- :/Y> v' / C( ~ Seal ,r--