78R4500 MW-D

By:  Hardcastle                                                   H.R. No. 187



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Recognizing February 19, 2003, as Gunnery Sergeant 
John Basilone Day pays tribute to a brave and distinguished United 
States marine who sacrificed his life so Americans may live in 
freedom; and
	WHEREAS, On October 24 and 25, 1942, Sergeant Basilone served 
in the Lunga area on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, as a member of 
the 7th U.S. Marine Regiment in the First Battalion of the First 
Division; and
	WHEREAS, Assigned to defend Henderson Air Field, he 
demonstrated uncommon courage, racing through enemy lines to 
retrieve 100-pound sacks of ammunition to resupply his men; then, 
separated from his fellow soldiers and armed only with his machine 
gun, he located and destroyed an entire regiment of enemy forces, 
hastening the victory; and
	WHEREAS, Sergeant Basilone returned home to a hero's welcome 
and became the first enlisted marine to receive the Congressional 
Medal of Honor; he also attended a 10-state war bond tour with 
numerous celebrities; and
	WHEREAS, Eager to continue serving, Sergeant Basilone joined 
the newly formed Fifth Marine Division, and on February 19, 1945, he 
and his fellow marines landed on the island of Iwo Jima; again he 
showed extraordinary bravery, rescuing a tank from a minefield and 
then destroying an enemy blockhouse with a dynamite charge; while 
advancing to secure the Montoyama Airfield #1, Gunnery Sergeant 
John Basilone was tragically killed by mortar fire; and
	WHEREAS, Sergeant Basilone posthumously received the Navy 
Cross, and his hometown of Raritan, New Jersey, has honored him  
since the 1980s with an annual parade; furthermore, a 17-mile 
stretch of Interstate 5 outside of Camp Pendleton in California has 
been renamed the John Basilone Memorial Highway, and efforts are 
being made to issue a postage stamp in his honor; and
	WHEREAS, Sergeant Basilone was a marine whose strong sense of 
duty reflected a deep commitment to his country and his fellow 
citizens, for whom he willingly entered dangerous combat, performed 
courageous feats, and ultimately gave his life; now, therefore, be 
it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas 
Legislature hereby recognize February 19, 2003, as Gunnery Sergeant 
John Basilone Day to honor this remarkable American and valorous 
U.S. marine.