78S41431 KO-D

By:  Gallego                                                      H.R. No. 254



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, The family and friends of Sergeant William Cody 
Eckhart suffered a terrible loss with the death of this brave young 
soldier in Iraq on April 10, 2004, at the age of 25; and
	WHEREAS, A member of the F Troop 4th Cavalry, 1st Infantry 
Division, Sergeant Eckhart was killed in action near Khalis while 
performing a reconnaissance scouting mission; he was posthumously 
awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his extraordinary 
valor; and
	WHEREAS, Born on September 21, 1978, this lifelong resident 
of Rocksprings was a member of the Rocksprings High School State 
Cross Country 1-A championship team and the Boy Scouts; a few months 
after graduating from high school in 1997, he enlisted in the army, 
having placed so high on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude 
Battery Test that he had his pick of military careers; he chose 
scouting and, following his completion of basic training at Fort 
Knox, Kentucky, he was assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, as a 
cavalry scout; and
	WHEREAS, After four years, Sergeant Eckhart signed up for 
another tour and was deployed to Vilseck, Germany, serving overseas 
tours in Egypt as part of Operation Bright Star; this dedicated 
six-year veteran of the army had survived missions in Bosnia and 
Kosovo before being sent to Iraq in February 2004; he won numerous 
awards and citations that were proudly displayed on his bedroom 
wall at home; and
	WHEREAS, Like many boys growing up in the Hill Country, Cody 
Eckhart enjoyed fishing, hunting, and the outdoors; he also loved 
serving his country and thrived on the adventure and intensity of 
his work, while remaining aware of the inherent dangers of his 
missions; although he knew during his last visit home at Christmas 
that he would be sent to Iraq soon, he asked his parents not to tell 
other family members so that they might enjoy the holidays and be 
spared worry over his safety; and
	WHEREAS, Through his selfless and unfaltering devotion to 
duty, honor, and his country, this courageous young Texan embodied 
the highest ideals of the armed services, and we owe a profound debt 
for the enormous sacrifice that he and his family have paid; while 
he will be remembered always by his loved ones as a caring son, 
grandson, brother, nephew, and friend, he will be remembered by his 
country as a hero; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of 
Sergeant William Cody Eckhart, United States Army, and extend 
profound sympathy to the members of his family: to his parents, 
Ronnie and Terri Eckhart; to his sisters, Staci and Erin Eckhart; to 
his grandparents, Dorothy Eckhart and William and Roselyn White; 
and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for the members of his family and that when the Texas House 
of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of U.S. 
Army Sergeant William Cody Eckhart.