H.R. No. 221


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The family and friends of U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez of Laredo suffered an immeasurable loss with the death of this valiant soldier in Iraq on January 13, 2005, at the age of 23; and WHEREAS, Assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines, based in Corpus Christi, Lance Corporal Rodriguez was killed when his patrol came under attack in Al Anbar Province, Iraq; and WHEREAS, A loving son and brother, this courageous young Texan attended United South High School, where his hard work earned him the prestigious Panther Award; he was an active and valued member of the Junior ROTC, and as a colonel he helped to lead the group to a national championship in 1998; and WHEREAS, After graduating from high school in 2000, Lance Corporal Rodriguez joined the U.S. Marine Forces Reserve and became a respected employee of Buffalo Pawn, rising to the position of assistant manager before his deployment to Iraq in August 2004; he had hoped to one day serve his community as a police SWAT team officer; and WHEREAS, Juan Rodriguez's easygoing nature and zest for life endeared him to his family and to a host of friends, and his thoughtfulness and concern for others touched many hearts; and WHEREAS, Notwithstanding the hardships that he faced in a war zone, Lance Corporal Rodriguez performed his work with pride and professionalism, his steadfast commitment to his mission made all the more firm by a strongly felt desire to help the Iraqi people; and WHEREAS, Through his unwavering dedication to duty, honor, and this country, Juan Rodriguez embodied the highest ideals of the armed services, and the blessing of his life will be forever treasured by those who were privileged to share in the warmth of his love and friendship; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas Legislature hereby pay special tribute to the life of Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his family: to his parents, Rodrigo and Juana Maria Rodriguez; to his sister, Maria Fatima Rodriguez; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Lance Corporal Juan Rodrigo Rodriguez. Raymond Craddick Geren Menendez Allen of Harris Giddings Merritt Allen of Dallas Gonzales Miller Alonzo Gonzalez Toureilles Moreno of Harris Anchia Goodman Moreno of El Paso Anderson Goolsby Morrison Bailey Griggs Mowery Baxter Grusendorf Naishtat Berman Guillen Nixon Blake Haggerty Noriega Bohac Hamilton Oliveira Bonnen Hamric Olivo Branch Hardcastle Orr Brown of Kaufman Harper-Brown Otto Brown of Brazos Hartnett Paxton Burnam Hegar Pena Callegari Herrero Phillips Campbell Hilderbran Pickett Casteel Hill Pitts Castro Hochberg Puente Chavez Hodge Quintanilla Chisum Homer Raymond Coleman Hope Reyna Cook of Navarro Hopson Riddle Cook of Colorado Howard Ritter Corte Hughes Rodriguez Crabb Hunter Rose Crownover Hupp Seaman Davis of Harris Isett Smith of Tarrant Davis of Dallas Jackson Smith of Harris Dawson Jones of Lubbock Smithee Delisi Jones of Dallas Solis Denny Keel Solomons Deshotel Keffer of Dallas Strama Driver Keffer of Eastland Straus Dukes King of Parker Swinford Dunnam King of Zavala Talton Dutton Kolkhorst Taylor Edwards Krusee Thompson Eiland Kuempel Truitt Eissler Laney Turner Elkins Laubenberg Uresti Escobar Leibowitz Van Arsdale Farabee Luna Veasey Farrar Madden Villarreal Flores Martinez Vo Flynn Martinez Fischer West Frost McCall Wong Gallego McClendon Woolley Gattis McReynolds Zedler ______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 221 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on February 24, 2005. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House