H.R. No. 579
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Words cannot adequately express the heartache felt
at the loss of Lance Corporal Nicholas Samuel Valdez Perez of
Austin, who was killed in action in Iraq on September 3, 2004, at
the age of 19; and
WHEREAS, A dedicated young man in the United States Marine
Corps, Lance Corporal Perez was mortally injured by insurgents
while conducting a military maneuver west of Baghdad in Al Anbar
Province; and
WHEREAS, Lance Corporal Perez was born and raised in Austin
and graduated with honors from Travis High School in 2003; he
participated in a number of sports, especially baseball and golf,
while growing up in the Capitol City, and he enjoyed video games,
dancing, fishing, skiing, movies, and travel; and
WHEREAS, He was also a gifted swimmer and worked as a
lifeguard for the City of Austin Aquatics, where his extraordinary
skill allowed him to begin service as a Lifeguard II and quickly
earned him promotion to Lifeguard III; during his tenure with the
department, Lance Corporal Perez received American Red Cross
certifications in CPR, lifeguard training, and first aid; he was a
valued employee, and his coworkers admired his strong work ethic
and dependability; and
WHEREAS, Since the age of nine, Nicholas Perez dreamed of
joining the Marines; he became a member of the Navy Junior Reserve
Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) program in high school and enlisted
in the corps in July 2003; and
WHEREAS, Despite the dangerous nature of his assignment in
Iraq, this brave Texan took great pride in his work and was
committed to fulfilling his mission to the very best of his ability;
courageous and steadfast, he earned an Expert Rifleman Badge, the
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Sea Service
Deployment Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, and the
Purple Heart; and
WHEREAS, Above all else, Nicholas Perez cherished his faith
and his family, and his warm heart, outgoing nature, and fun-loving
spirit will be sorely missed; and
WHEREAS, Our state and nation are fortunate to have young men
and women whose love of country leads them to military duty, and
time can never diminish the profound debt that Americans owe to
Lance Corporal Perez for the service he undertook and the sacrifice
he rendered; and
WHEREAS, The thoughts and prayers of many go out to the family
of this beloved young man; he was a Marine of honor and valor, and
those who knew and cherished him will forever carry him close in
their hearts; 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 Nicholas Samuel Valdez Perez and extend deepest sympathy
to the members of his family: to his mother, Yolanda Valdez; to his
father, Samuel Perez; to his sister, U.S. Marine Lance Corporal
Briana Y. Perez; 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 Nicholas Samuel Valdez Perez.
Keel
Rodriguez
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. 579 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on April 13, 2005.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House