HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

180

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Respectfully Requesting the United States Postal Service To Commemorate The Honorable Service Of The F-14 Tomcat In Defending Freedom.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, having survived the Cold War without the pall of thermonuclear destruction, the present generation of Americans and all future generations to come are indebted to the service of not only the men and women of the United States Military, but also the unique and innovative technologies employed by them in the defense of our Nation; and

 

     WHEREAS, during the height of the Cold War, the United States Navy developed a revolutionary interceptor aircraft with the mission of not only defending its carriers, but also negating the threat of Soviet bombers armed with with nuclear weapons by engaging them at extremely long range with the combination of an advanced fire control system, radar, and missile system; and

 

     WHEREAS, on December 21, 1970, the aircraft designed for the Navy to accomplish that mission, the F-14 Tomcat, had its first successful flight; and

 

     WHEREAS, after an accelerated, yet ultimately successful development period, the F-14 Tomcat began replacing the F-4 Phantom II in US Navy service, beginning with squadrons VF-1 "Wolfpack" and VF-2 "Bounty Hunters" aboard the USS Enterprise; and

 

     WHEREAS, on August 19, 1981, the F-14 Tomcat proved its strength in defending freedom during what has become popularly known as "The Gulf of Sidra Incident" in which two F-14s of VF-41 "Black Aces" were threatened by missile fire from two Russian-made Libyan Su-22 fighters, but subsequently evaded the incoming missiles and downed both aircraft with no injury or loss to American forces; and

 

     WHEREAS, throughout the 1980s, the F-14 Tomcat was successfully employed in various deployments and engagements around the world, successfully serving as both a deterrent to Soviet aggression and a defense to American interests; and

 

     WHEREAS, the F-14's deployment in the Pacific contributed greatly to the collective defense and security of the Hawaiian Islands; and

 

     WHEREAS, the popularity and success of the F-14 has made it more than just a weapons platform, but an American cultural icon of free spirit, triumph over opposition, and freedom from fear; and

 

     WHEREAS, the F-14's iconic status was dramatized in many patriotic American films, including most notably, "Top Gun" and "The Final Countdown"; and

 

     WHEREAS, it is not uncommon or without precedent for the United States Postal Service to commemorate American cultural icons with special stamps and postage; therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, this body respectfully requests the United States Postal Service to commemorate the honorable service of the F-14 Tomcat in defending freedom; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature extends its warmest Mahalo and Aloha to the engineers, maintenance crews, flight crews, and all persons associated with the operation of the F-14 Tomcat, and extends its warmest wishes to them in all their future endeavors for their contribution to not only our present day, but our future; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to:

 

     (1)  The Governor of the State of Hawaii;

     (2)  The President of the United States of America;

     (3)  The members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation;

     (4)  The US Postmaster General;

     (5)  The Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee; and

     (6)  The F-14 Tomcat Association.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

BY REQUEST

Report Title: 

United States Postal Service Commemoration