| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution recognizing 2011 as the "Centennial Year of |
| 3 | U.S. Naval Aviation." |
| 4 |
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| 5 | WHEREAS, on January 26, 1911, Glenn H. Curtiss conducted |
| 6 | the first successful demonstration of a sea plane in San Diego |
| 7 | Harbor, thus affirming the application of airplanes for naval |
| 8 | purposes, and |
| 9 | WHEREAS, on May 8, 1911, Capt. Washington Irving Chambers |
| 10 | prepared a requisition for the purchase of the U.S. Navy's first |
| 11 | aircraft, and this date would later be designated as the |
| 12 | birthday of U.S. Naval aviation, and |
| 13 | WHEREAS, during the first century of naval aviation, |
| 14 | numerous milestones have been observed, including the birth of |
| 15 | Marine Corps aviation on May 22, 1912; the commission of the |
| 16 | U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley, in 1922; |
| 17 | the first takeoff from, and landing on, a U.S. Navy aircraft |
| 18 | carrier, also in 1922; and, in 1942, the first naval engagement |
| 19 | in which ships of the opposing forces were not in sight of each |
| 20 | other, and |
| 21 | WHEREAS, on February 20, 1962, Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., |
| 22 | USMC, became the first American to orbit the earth, and |
| 23 | WHEREAS, on July 20, 1969, former naval aviator Neil |
| 24 | Armstrong became the first American to set foot on the surface |
| 25 | of the moon, and |
| 26 | WHEREAS, on February 22, 1974, Lt. j.g. Barbara Ann Allen |
| 27 | (Rainey) became the first female naval aviator in our nation's |
| 28 | history, and |
| 29 | WHEREAS, among the many milestones that have marked the |
| 30 | first century of U.S. Naval aviation, a number of significant |
| 31 | achievements within the State of Florida have had considerable |
| 32 | impact, both nationwide as well as statewide, and |
| 33 | WHEREAS, Florida is home to four Naval air stations, NAS |
| 34 | Pensacola, NAS Whiting Field in Milton, NAS Key West, and NAS |
| 35 | Jacksonville, with Jacksonville also being the home to Naval |
| 36 | Station Mayport, which supports air operations, and |
| 37 | WHEREAS, on April 23, 1940, Naval Air Station (NAS) |
| 38 | Jacksonville became the only military installation in the United |
| 39 | States that was given as a gift from the people to the United |
| 40 | States government, and |
| 41 | WHEREAS, the gift of NAS Jacksonville was followed by the |
| 42 | official commissioning of the naval air station on October 15, |
| 43 | 1940, and |
| 44 | WHEREAS, NAS Jacksonville was the original home of the |
| 45 | Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team, who performed |
| 46 | their first show at Craig Field in Jacksonville on June 15, |
| 47 | 1946, and |
| 48 | WHEREAS, NAS Jacksonville also became the home of the |
| 49 | Naval Air Advanced Training Command, and |
| 50 | WHEREAS, in 1914, the Pensacola Navy yard was officially |
| 51 | changed from a naval yard to a naval air station, thus becoming |
| 52 | the first naval air station in the U.S. Navy and the primary |
| 53 | training facility for all naval aviators and enlisted aircrew |
| 54 | personnel, and |
| 55 | WHEREAS, in 1954, NAS Pensacola became the new home of the |
| 56 | Navy's Blue Angels, and |
| 57 | WHEREAS, in July 1943, NAS Whiting Field opened as a |
| 58 | training facility to fulfill the need for pilot training |
| 59 | commands in World War II, and |
| 60 | WHEREAS, today NAS Whiting Field is responsible for an |
| 61 | estimated 46 percent of the Chief of Naval Air Command's total |
| 62 | flight time and over 10 percent of the Navy's and the Marine |
| 63 | Corps' total flight time, and |
| 64 | WHEREAS, every year an estimated 1,200 personnel complete |
| 65 | their essential flight training at NAS Whiting Field on their |
| 66 | way to becoming naval pilots, and |
| 67 | WHEREAS, on October 21, 1948, Jesse Brown became the U.S. |
| 68 | Navy's first African-American pilot when he was awarded his |
| 69 | wings at NAS Jacksonville, and |
| 70 | WHEREAS, it is with great pride and sense of accomplishment |
| 71 | that the citizens of the State of Florida join with all citizens |
| 72 | of the United States in recognizing 2011 as the "Centennial Year |
| 73 | of U.S. Naval Aviation," NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 74 |
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| 75 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 76 | Florida: |
| 77 |
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| 78 | That the House of Representatives of the State of Florida |
| 79 | recognizes 2011 as the "Centennial Year of U.S. Naval Aviation." |