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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Lloyd Herbert Hughes Jr., a graduate of Refugio High |
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School, demonstrated conspicuous gallantry in the skies over Europe |
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during World War II, sacrificing his life in defense of his nation |
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and earning the Congressional Medal of Honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in 1921 in Alexandria, Louisiana, Pete Hughes |
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attended Refugio High School, where he was both an academic star and |
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a letterman in several sports; after graduating in 1939, he went on |
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to study petroleum engineering at Texas A&M University; shortly |
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following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, he answered |
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his nation's call to duty by enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps, |
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and he trained as a bomber pilot; and |
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WHEREAS, Serving with the 564th Bombardment Squadron, 389th |
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Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force, Second Lieutenant Hughes was the |
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pilot of a B-24 Liberator nicknamed "Ole Kickapoo"; on August 1, |
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1943, he and his crew took part in Operation Tidal Wave, a daring, |
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low-level raid on the Axis oil fields in Ploiesti, Romania, |
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conducted by 170 B-24 bombers; flying last in his formation over a |
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burning oil refinery that had already been hit, his plane was struck |
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by enemy antiaircraft fire and began to leak gasoline in two places; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Knowing the consequences of flying his leaking plane |
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low enough to hit his assigned target, Lieutenant Hughes could have |
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broken off, but instead, he elected to complete his mission, flying |
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into the inferno and dropping his bombs on the target; his plane |
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emerged with its left wing on fire, and Lieutenant Hughes and five |
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other members of his crew lost their lives while attempting a crash |
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landing in a riverbed near Câmpina, Romania; two additional crew |
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members later died of their injuries and two others were captured by |
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the enemy; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of his sacrifice and his dedication |
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to duty, Lieutenant Hughes was posthumously awarded the |
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Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award; |
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his widow, Hazel Dean Hughes, was presented with the medal in April |
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1944, and the remains of Lieutenant Hughes were repatriated and |
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buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio in April |
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1950; he is the only resident of Refugio ever to earn the Medal of |
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Honor, and the Lloyd H. "Pete" Hughes Memorial Committee of the |
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Refugio ISD Education Foundation is leading an effort to recognize |
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his connection to Refugio by naming a portion of U.S. 77 in his |
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honor and by installing a memorial at Refugio High School; and |
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WHEREAS, A proud son of Refugio, Lloyd Herbert Hughes |
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Jr. paid the ultimate price while fighting for his country during |
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the most far-reaching conflict in world history, and the citizens |
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of his hometown, his state, and his nation owe him a debt of |
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gratitude that the passage of time can never diminish; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the heroism of U.S. Army Air Corps Second |
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Lieutenant Lloyd Herbert Hughes Jr.; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives and Senate. |