79R5487 MMS-D

By:  Gattis                                                       H.R. No. 270



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Lance Corporal Justin R. Gower has rendered valiant 
service in Iraq as a member of the United States Marines; and
	WHEREAS, A graduate of Westwood High School in Austin, 
Corporal Gower fulfilled a longtime ambition when he joined the 
Marine Forces Reserve; after basic training at Camp Pendleton, 
California, he was deployed to Iraq in August 2004 for a nine-month 
tour of duty; and
	WHEREAS, On November 19, 2004, Corporal Gower was serving as 
a gunner on a Humvee patrolling Haditha Dam, the largest 
hydroelectric dam in Iraq, when the vehicle struck a land mine; 
though there were no fatalities, Corporal Gower and a fellow Texas 
Marine sustained serious injuries; and
	WHEREAS, Since that time, Corporal Gower has astounded his 
doctors and family alike with his amazingly rapid recovery; in this 
healing process, he may have been helped by his many years of 
physical conditioning; a gifted athlete, he swam on both his high 
school squad and on the Texas Gold Swim Team; and
	WHEREAS, Offered swimming scholarships after his high school 
graduation, Corporal Gower decided to remain in the Austin area, 
where he worked and took classes at Austin Community College; and
	WHEREAS, In 2004, Justin Gower married Kristin Chapman, whom 
he had met through mutual friends; in consequence of his military 
responsibilities, he was able to spend only two weeks with his new 
wife before departing for boot camp; and
	WHEREAS, Americans owe a profound debt to Corporal Gower and 
to all the country's military personnel, for they are called on to 
bear great, often unimaginable, burdens, and they render service 
and sacrifice that is truly beyond measure; and
	WHEREAS, Through his unfaltering devotion to duty, honor, and 
this nation, Corporal Gower embodies the highest ideals of the U.S. 
armed forces, and it is indeed a privilege to join in welcoming him 
home again; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor Lance Corporal Justin Gower for his 
steadfast service as a U.S. Marine and extend to him sincere best 
wishes for his continuing recovery; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Corporal Gower as an expression of high regard by the 
Texas House of Representatives.