H.R. No. 739



R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Edgbert Hudson of Bridgeport is the last surviving 
Wise County member of the Lost Battalion, a group of soldiers who 
were held as prisoners of war by the Japanese during World War II; 
and
	WHEREAS, In 1940, Mr. Hudson joined the army and was assigned 
to Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 131st Field Artillery of 
the 36th Division, and his training took place at Camp Bowie in 
Brownwood and in Louisiana and the Philippines; and
	WHEREAS, After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Mr. Hudson and his 
400-troop battalion, which included soldiers from Wise County, 
Jacksboro, Wichita Falls, and Abilene, helped dig trenches, load 
bombs, and refuel planes on Java; on February 28, 1942, the Japanese 
invaded the island, and the 2nd Battalion was forced to surrender to 
the overwhelming numbers of the enemy; for the next 3-1/2 years, Mr. 
Hudson and the members of what became known as the Lost Battalion 
experienced the horrors of living as prisoners of war; and
	WHEREAS, This brave soldier and his fellow prisoners were 
moved to the dense jungle of Burma, where they were forced to build 
by hand a 260-mile railroad and bridges; after suffering endless 
brutalities and physical injuries, the soldiers were released when 
the war ended in 1945, some 42 months after their capture; Mr. 
Hudson was moved to a hospital in Calcutta, eventually making his 
way home to Bridgeport; he still remembers with great feeling the 
walk down the path from the gate to his family's farmhouse on his 
return from his long and arduous journey; and
	WHEREAS, Edgbert Hudson's courage and determination ensured 
his survival as a prisoner of war, but his strength of character 
helped him move on with his life after he returned from such a 
harrowing experience; above all, he suffered an enormous sacrifice 
in behalf of his country, and for this, this extraordinary member of 
the Greatest Generation is a source of tremendous inspiration to 
all those who know him; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas 
Legislature hereby honor Edgbert Hudson as a true American hero and 
extend to him the immeasurable gratitude of the State of Texas for 
his brave and valorous service to his country; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 
prepared for Mr. Hudson as an expression of high regard by the Texas 
House of Representatives.

                                                                  King of Parker

                                                  ______________________________
                                                       Speaker of the House     

	I certify that H.R. No. 739 was adopted by the House on March 
31, 2005, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House