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RESOLUTION DECLARING MAY 20, 2023, AND EVERY THIRD SATURDAY OF EVERY MAY THEREAFTER AS MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

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WHEREAS, according to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2021, an estimated 46,642 veterans reside in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has a lengthy history as an important community to the United States Armed Forces, spanning from at least the Second Seminole War in 1835 through the present; and
WHEREAS, in between, Miami-Dade County served an important role during the Spanish-American War in 1898, when Miami served as a staging area for the thousands of personnel of United States Armed Forces stationed in downtown Miami and at the Royal Palm Hotel before their departure to fight in Cuba and then returning, after a decisive victory over Spain, with prisoners of war who were brought to the area in the vicinity of present-day PortMiami; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County was also of critical importance in World War II, during which German U-boats attached and sank dozens of vessels in Florida waters, leading to the development of a blimp-led counteroffensive managed from South Florida; and
WHEREAS, in that vein, the United States Navy established a blimp base at Richmond Air Station, at present-day ZooMiami, from which blimps were dispatched to patrol the Florida coastline, identifying and bombing German U-boats; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County also played an important role in the Cold War that followed World War II, particularly during the Bay of Pigs effort in the early 1960s, in which the Assault Brigade 2506 trained for its offensive against the Cuban communist regime at military bases in South Florida, including Homestead Air Force Base; and
WHEREAS, remnants of Miami-Dade County�s Cold War history are visible to this day at Everglades National Park, where the United States Army maintained a Nike Hercules missile site until 1979 for the purpose of protecting the United States from a possible Soviet air attack; and
WHEREAS, apart from its historical military significance, present-day Miami-Dade County has an important connection with the United States Armed Forces, which, according to the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, have an impact of more than $5,000,000,000.00 annually in Miami-Dade County, employing over 56,000 people with average job earnings of $70,100.00 per job; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County currently serves as the home of the United States Southern Command (Southcom), United States Special Operations Command South (SOC-South), Homestead Air Reserve Base, United States Coast Guard District Seven, the Florida National Guard, and a hospital of the United States Veterans Health Administration; and
WHEREAS, as a result, Miami-Dade County takes special pride in honoring active duty and veteran members of the United States Armed Forces who have dedicated at least a portion of their lives in service of the cause of freedom; and
WHEREAS, consequently, this Board desires to declare May 20, 2023, and every third Saturday of every May thereafter as Military Appreciation Day in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, in recognizing Military Appreciation Day, Miami-Dade County joins other communities in the United States that have set aside at least one day of the month of May to recognize and honor the dedication and commitment of the members of the United States Armed Forces,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board declares May 20, 2023, and every third Saturday of every May thereafter as Military Appreciation Day in Miami-Dade County.