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                                                                  H.R. No. 763


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Galveston Police Department (GPD) recently deployed its marine unit and dive team to assist in the search for and recovery of debris from the tragic explosion of the space shuttle Columbia; and WHEREAS, Working in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Navy, and a host of federal, state, and local organizations, members of the GPD Marine Unit and Dive Team have been using sonar scanning equipment to locate debris in Sabine County's Toledo Bend Reservoir; their careful planning and execution of this logistically demanding task have been crucial elements in the overall success of the mission; and WHEREAS, The search and recovery efforts have included the following dedicated professionals: Sergeant Richard Kershaw, Sergeant David N. White, Jr., Sergeant Tim Galvan, Sergeant Michael Riedel, Corporal Richard D. McCullor II, Corporal Ronny Phillips, Corporal John W. Courtney, Jr., Corporal Pete Contenta, Corporal Gordon D. Pean III, Corporal Jeremi Smart, Officer Dion Watson, Officer Marcus Pitre, and Officer Larry Chambers; and WHEREAS, Special recognition is also deserved for the many residents of Sabine County who have generously provided food and encouragement for the search and recovery specialists throughout the duration of their stay in the area; and WHEREAS, By using their skill and expertise to locate fragments from the space shuttle, the dedicated members of the GPD Marine Unit and Dive Team are making a vital contribution to the successful completion of this mammoth undertaking, and their efforts will undoubtedly aid in this nation's ability to discover the cause of this unfortunate disaster and perhaps help to prevent future tragedies; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas Legislature hereby commend Police Chief Robert Pierce and the members of the Galveston Police Department Marine Unit and Dive Team for their vital role in the search for and recovery of debris from the space shuttle Columbia explosion and extend to them sincere appreciation for a job well done; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the Galveston Police Department as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Eiland Craddick Geren Mercer Allen Giddings Merritt Alonzo Goodman Miller Bailey Goolsby Moreno of Harris Baxter Griggs Moreno of El Paso Berman Grusendorf Morrison Bohac Guillen Mowery Bonnen Gutierrez Naishtat Branch Haggerty Nixon Brown of Kaufman Hamilton Noriega Brown of Brazos Hamric Oliveira Burnam Hardcastle Olivo Callegari Harper-Brown Paxton Campbell Hartnett Pena Canales Heflin Phillips Capelo Hegar Pickett Casteel Hilderbran Pitts Castro Hill Puente Chavez Hochberg Quintanilla Chisum Hodge Raymond Christian Homer Reyna Coleman Hope Riddle Cook of Navarro Hopson Ritter Cook of Colorado Howard Rodriguez Corte Hughes Rose Crabb Hunter Seaman Crownover Hupp Smith of Tarrant Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Harris Davis of Dallas Jones of Lubbock Smithee Dawson Jones of Bexar Solis Delisi Jones of Dallas Solomons Denny Keel Stick Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Swinford Driver Keffer of Eastland Talton Dukes King Taylor Dunnam Kolkhorst Telford Dutton Krusee Thompson Edwards Kuempel Truitt Eiland Laney Turner Eissler Laubenberg Uresti Elkins Lewis Van Arsdale Ellis Luna Villarreal Escobar Mabry West Farabee Madden Wilson Farrar Marchant Wise Flores Martinez Fischer Wohlgemuth Flynn McCall Wolens Gallego McClendon Wong Garza McReynolds Woolley Gattis Menendez Zedler ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 763 was adopted by the House on May 21, 2003, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House