RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT, NEW YORK.

WHEREAS, the United States military academy at West Point, New York, was established by an act of congress that was signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson in 1802; and

WHEREAS, this year marks the bicentennial of the establishment of the academy; and

WHEREAS, during its existence, the academy has graduated nearly fifty-eight thousand five hundred cadets; and

WHEREAS, in keeping with its mission, the academy developed those graduates as leaders of character for the United States army and inspired them to pursue careers as commissioned officers and a lifetime of selfless service to our nation; and

WHEREAS, many of the graduates have distinguished themselves as leaders in the armed services, including Generals Ulysses S. Grant, George A. Custer, Douglas MacArthur, George S. Patton, Omar N. Bradley, Dwight D. Eisenhower and H. Norman Schwarzkopf; and

WHEREAS, West Point graduates Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower have gone on to become president of the United States; and

WHEREAS, West Point graduates Frank Borman and Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin have gone on to become astronauts; and

WHEREAS, thirty-nine New Mexicans have graduated from the academy and twelve more will graduate in the bicentennial class; and

WHEREAS, the twelve New Mexicans who will be graduating in the bicentennial class are: Jerrod Adams of Farmington, Gregory Barber of Albuquerque, Francis Brink of Las Cruces, Andrew Chavez of Santa Fe, Tyler Donnell of Albuquerque, Justin Hawthorne of Ruidoso, Josef Michaels of Raton, Andrew Pruett of Santa Fe, Nicholas Ryan of Espanola, Thomas Strum of Las Vegas, Christopher Walls of Raton and Sarah Wolberg of Socorro; and

WHEREAS, the long gray line of West Point has never failed our country;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that gratitude and support be expressed to the United States military academy at West Point for its two hundred years of service and its long line of graduates; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of the United States military academy and to the New Mexico cadets who will graduate with the bicentennial class.