2020 -- S 2763

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LC005096

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING RETIRED UNITED STATES ARMY FIRST SERGEANT DORA

VASQUEZ-HELLNER ON BEING NAMED THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF

VETERANS AFFAIRS "FEMALE VETERAN OF THE YEAR"

     Introduced By: Senators Morgan, de la Cruz, Lynch Prata, Coyne, and Gallo

     Date Introduced: March 05, 2020

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

     WHEREAS, Dora Vasquez-Hellner has resided in Ashaway since 2001. She holds a

Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College of Albany, New York, and a

Master of Arts degree in Hispanic Studies from the University of Rhode Island. She is married to

William Hellner and together they have one child, Mathias; and

     WHEREAS, Sergeant Vasquez-Hellner is retired from the United States Army who

served our nation with honor and distinction for twenty-three years. She is a graduate of

numerous advanced military courses including, the United States Army Airborne Course, the

SERE-Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, and the Individual Terrorism Awareness

Course. During Operation Just Cause Panama, she was the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge

of screening operations that handled over 2,000 Panamanian Defense Force soldiers; and

     WHEREAS, Since her retirement from the United States Army, Sergeant Vasquez-

Hellner started a second career as a teacher. She currently teaches Spanish at Westerly High

School, where she works tirelessly to enrich and make a difference in the lives of the students in

her classroom; and

     WHEREAS, Although retired from active military service, Sergeant Vasquez-Hellner

remains quite active within the military veterans community. She is a member of Team Red,

White, and Blue in Groton, Connecticut, whose mission is to enrich the lives of America’s

Veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity, and serves

as the Secretary of New England Military Women Across the Nation Unit # 158 whose purpose is

to encourage patriotism, loyalty and devotion to God, country and family. Sergeant Vasquez-

Hellner also helped to coordinate the first Rhode Island Rally for Women Warriors at the

Providence VA Medical Center; and

     WHEREAS, Sergeant Vasquez-Hellner had the high honor of being elected the State

Junior Commander of the Department of Rhode Island Veterans of Foreign Wars on June 2,

2019, at the 100th State Convention in Warwick. She is a life member of the Amancio-Falcone-

Gaccione VFW Post 8955, and had the honor of participating in the first Rhode Island All Female

Honor Flight to our Nation’s Capital in April of 2019; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby congratulates Retired United States Army First Sergeant Dora Vasquez-Hellner on being

named the Rhode Island Department of Veteran Affairs “Female Veteran of the Year”; and be it

further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Sergeant Dora Vasquez-Hellner.

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LC005096

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