Bill Caption

Fiscal Notes

Bill Analysis

From the Author's Statement of Intent:

S.C.R. 26 serves as a directive to the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously award Colonel Ed Dyess the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor in recognition of his extraordinary military service and valorous acts in World War II. Demonstrating leadership and courage in both infantry and aerial combat, Colonel Dyess led his squadron of airmen through combat in the jungles of the Bataan Peninsula and in the skies above the Pacific Theatre. On February 8, 1942, Captain Dyess led a 20-man force in an assault on two enemy battalions entrenched in Agloloma Bay. Dyess and his men eliminated approximately 75 heavily armed Japanese combatants ordered to wreak havoc behind the Filipino-American lines, giving American forces time to mobilize in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Not one month later, Dyess led nine pilots in five aircraft, braving heavy anti-aircraft fire in a raid that would destroy one 12,000-ton transport, one 6,000-ton vessel, at least two 100-ton motor launches, and a handful of barges and lighters. As the combat situation on the Bataan Peninsula deteriorated and many officers began to shirk their duties, Dyess continued to fly high risk missions, sometimes as far as 1,400 miles, to ensure his men had access to needed medicine. As situations continued to deteriorate, Dyess personally oversaw the evacuation of the Bataan Peninsula and gave up his seat on the final departing flight. Following the surrender of 75,000 American and Filipino troops, Dyess endured the Bataan Death March, one of the most horrific war crimes in the history of the United States. Dyess suffered savage beatings and witnessed horrific wartime practices of the Japanese Army, ultimately arriving at prison camps on Luzon Island. In November 1942, Dyess arrived at the Davao Penal Colony, a reportedly escape-proof prison planation. There, Captain Dyess coorganized an operation in which 10 American soldiers and two Filipino convicts, known as the "Davao Dozen," escaped through the thick jungle surrounding the camp to continue fighting with Filipino guerilla forces until he could evacuate to Australia in July 1943. Lieutenant Colonel Dyess would not live to see his remarkable story relayed to the American public. On December 22, 1943, Dyess encountered engine trouble while piloting a P-38 Lightning during a routine flight above Los Angeles. Rather than bailing out of his aircraft and allowing it to fall into a crowded residential area, Lieutenant Colonel Dyess attempted an emergency landing but was forced to pull up in order to avoid hitting a motorist who had strayed into his path; his aircraft struck a church and Dyess was killed instantly. To date, the only public recognition Lieutenant Colonel Dyess has received is the renaming of Abilene Air Force Base to Dyess Air Force Base in 1956. In recognition of Lieutenant Colonel Dyess' incredible accomplishments, S.C.R. 26 directs the Governor of Texas to posthumously award Lieutenant Colonel Dyess the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor. 

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