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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established |
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to recognize gallant and intrepid service by a member of the state |
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or federal military forces, and U.S. Army Master Sergeant Mike C. |
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Peña of Newgulf, who gave his life to save his fellow soldiers |
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during the Korean War, proved himself a deserving recipient of this |
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prestigious commendation; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on November 6, 1924, Mike Peña was the son of |
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Mexican immigrants Miguel and Maria Peña; in 1940, two months shy of |
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his 16th birthday, he enlisted in the army in Houston after |
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misrepresenting his age to recruiters; he was assigned to the 5th |
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Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and received training at |
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Fort Clark in Brackettville and Fort Bliss in El Paso; just a year |
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after his induction into the service, the Japanese surprise attack |
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on Pearl Harbor precipitated the United States' entry into World |
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War II; and |
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WHEREAS, Deployed to the Pacific theater in 1943, Sergeant |
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Peña fought to liberate the Philippines from Japanese forces and |
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later took part in the occupation of Japan; he received an honorable |
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discharge on October 3, 1945, and reenlisted the same day; a month |
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earlier, on September 5, he had married his sweetheart, the former |
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Aurora Lola Urenda, and their life together would be enriched by the |
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birth of two sons, Michael David and Frederick William; for a time, |
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the family resided at Camp McGill in occupied Japan before moving to |
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Camp Carson in Colorado; and |
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WHEREAS, In late June 1950, the U.S. military was again |
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called upon when soldiers from communist North Korea invaded South |
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Korea; Sergeant Peña volunteered to return to action, rejoining the |
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5th Cavalry Regiment, and he participated in an amphibious landing |
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at P'ohang-dong, Korea, in July 1950; the 1st Cavalry Division was |
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ordered to defend a 35-mile sector along the Nakdong River, which |
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became the scene of intense fighting as enemy combatants pushed in |
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from the north; and |
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WHEREAS, On September 4, 1950, Sergeant Peña and his platoon |
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were posted near Waegwan, when a North Korean Army battalion |
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emerged only yards away, having advanced under the shroud of |
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darkness and mist; the platoon opened fire but was caught off guard |
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by the attack and was forced to withdraw; Sergeant Peña swiftly |
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rallied his troops and led them in a counterattack that succeeded in |
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regaining their lost ground; and |
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WHEREAS, Sergeant Peña and his men then established a |
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defensive perimeter and attempted to repel the North Koreans' |
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repeated assaults, but the enemy enjoyed an overwhelming numerical |
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advantage; when the platoon's ammunition supply began to dwindle, |
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Sergeant Peña commanded his men to fall back and seized a machine |
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gun to provide cover for the retreating troops; making a heroic |
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stand, he held back the enemy singlehandedly until the early |
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morning hours, when his position was overrun and he was fatally |
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wounded; he died at the age of 25, on the date of his fifth wedding |
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anniversary, and he was buried with full military honors at |
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Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City; and |
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WHEREAS, The outstanding service that Sergeant Peña rendered |
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over the course of his military career brought him more than 30 |
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decorations and awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross, |
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the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart with two oak leaf clusters, and |
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the Army Good Conduct Medal with bronze clasp and two loops; |
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moreover, his heroism in Korea was posthumously recognized with the |
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bestowal of the Congressional Medal of Honor at a White House |
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ceremony on March 18, 2014; in his hometown, he has been honored |
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with a memorial plaque at Newgulf Elementary School; moreover, a |
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Texas state highway, a gate at Fort Bliss, and a training center at |
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Fort Cavazos bear his name; and |
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WHEREAS, The extraordinary gallantry and immeasurable |
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sacrifice of Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña exemplify the proudest |
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tradition of service to country, and he is indeed deserving of this |
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state's supreme military commendation; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby direct the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously |
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award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Mike C. Peña in |
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recognition of his valiant service during the Korean War. |