HOUSE MEMORIAL 77

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Sheryl Williams Stapleton and Debra M. Sariñana

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING AND HONORING BOBBIE L. NOBLES' CONTRIBUTIONS TO HIS COMMUNITY, NEW MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES.

     WHEREAS, Bobbie L. Nobles was born on September 13, 1932 in Bernalillo, New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles was one of fourteen children in his family; and

     WHEREAS, in 1941, Mr. Nobles' family left Bernalillo to become itinerant farm workers, permanently settling in California, where Bobbie graduated from high school in 1959; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles joined the United States air force in 1951, becoming a jet pilot, and in 1974, he retired as a lieutenant colonel at Kirtland air force base in Albuquerque; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles was a decorated United States air force pilot, serving a second combat tour in Vietnam as an advisor to the Vietnam air force, and he became lasting friends with his Vietnamese counterparts; and

     WHEREAS, after the fall of Saigon, Mr. Nobles became concerned about the welfare of his friends, knowing the danger and risk they would endure under the new regime; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles retired and became actively involved in Albuquerque's southeast Asian refugee resettlement program through Catholic charities; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles kept track of Asian military pilots and family members and provided them with support to evade and exit their countries and to enroll in American refugee programs; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles' efforts brought American freedom, safety and citizenship to more than one hundred Asian families whom he had worked with in the United States air force before the United States' withdrawal from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles has been recognized with several civic awards for his work with the Asian American community; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles co-founded the Asian American association of New Mexico, was greatly appreciated among the Asian community for his tireless and generous work and was affectionately called "Mr. Bobbie"; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles was an honored veteran who served during times of war, was a recognized leader in the Asian American community and Albuquerque's international district for demonstrating kindness, humanity and service to others; and

      WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles died on January 2, 2017; and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Nobles is survived by his son, David G. Nobles, and David's wife, Sherry; six of his fourteen siblings, Catherine Mason, Jean (Gene) Nobles, Nellie Jo Casey, Tommy Nobles, Helen Zeiler and Jerry Nobles; and numerous nieces and nephews;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it recognize Bobbie L. Nobles and that it honor a debt of gratitude to Mr. Nobles for his many years of selfless service, for his sacrifices to fight for the freedom that all Americans enjoy today, for his actions to share the promise of freedom with others in peril and for his significant humanitarian service to New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the family of Bobbie L. Nobles.

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