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                                                                  H.R. No. 764


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The tragic reentry explosion of the space shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, resulted in the scattering of debris in several of our state's lakes and reservoirs, including Lake Nacogdoches and the Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend reservoirs, and members of the Galveston County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit have ably joined in the effort to find and recover wreckage from the disaster; and WHEREAS, Using sonar screening equipment, these search and recovery specialists trolled Toledo Bend Reservoir to locate underwater debris; this already arduous task was made even more difficult by inclement weather, yet the marine unit persevered and has pursued its mission with the utmost professionalism; and WHEREAS, Members of the marine unit who have provided assistance in this vital endeavor include Lieutenant Chuck Walsh, Sergeant Greg White, Sergeant Randy Burrows, Deputy Glenn Maddux, Deputy Don Gay, Jr., and Deputy Brent Walker; these fine peace officers have been supported in their endeavors by those residents of south Sabine County who have provided food and encouragement to search and recovery personnel throughout the challenging ordeal; and WHEREAS, This monumental project has truly been a team effort that has required the resources of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Navy, as well as Texas organizations such as the Galveston County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit; in times of national tragedy, we can all be proud of the fact that the citizens of Texas are eager and willing to do whatever is necessary to resolve a crisis; and WHEREAS, Under the direction of Sheriff Gean Leonard, the Galveston County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit has earned the admiration of a grateful citizenry for the pivotal work it has done in bringing this sad tragedy to its conclusion; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 78th Texas Legislature hereby commend the Galveston County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit for its role in the search for and recovery of debris from the space shuttle Columbia disaster and extend sincere best wishes to those individuals who have participated in this important undertaking; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for the Galveston County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit 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. 764 was adopted by the House on May 21, 2003, by a non-record vote. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House