H.R. No. 2113


R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The family and friends of U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sergeant Aaron Nathaniel Cepeda, Sr., of San Antonio have suffered an immeasurable loss with his death on May 7, 2005, at the age of 22; and WHEREAS, Killed in the performance of his duties in Iraq, Sergeant Cepeda was deployed in March 2005 as a member of the 4th Reconnaissance Battalion; he demonstrated steadfast courage and unwavering commitment to his missions, and for his noble efforts earned the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal; and WHEREAS, Sergeant Cepeda graduated from Health Careers High School in 1999, enlisting in the reserves in November of that same year; he went on to earn his bachelor's degree in biology from Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi and hoped to one day attend medical school; and WHEREAS, Americans owe an immeasurable debt to their military personnel, who have long secured this nation's freedom; through his unwavering devotion to duty, honor, and his country, Sergeant Cepeda embodied the highest ideals of the United States armed forces, and the State of Texas and the nation now mourn the loss of a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in behalf of his country and whose life was a treasured blessing to all who were privileged to share his love and friendship; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 79th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Sergeant Aaron Nathaniel Cepeda, Sr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Ella M. Cepeda; to his son, Aaron Nathaniel Cepeda, Jr.; to his daughter, Journee Bre-Kayleen Cepeda; to his parents, Michael and Diana Cepeda; to his maternal grandmother, Grace Mata; to his half-sister, Dolores Medina and her husband, Henry; to his half-brother, Michael S. Cepeda, Jr., and his wife, Jeanette; to his goddaughter, Amberly Mendiola; 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 U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sergeant Aaron Nathaniel Cepeda, Sr. Uresti 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. 2113 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on May 26, 2005. ______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House