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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Words cannot express the heartache felt at the loss |
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of U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ryan T. Sanders, who died on June 4, |
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2006, at the age of 27, while serving in Iraq; and |
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WHEREAS, Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, |
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1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood, |
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First Lieutenant Sanders was killed when his Abrams tank was hit by |
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a roadside bomb in Baghdad; and |
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WHEREAS, Lieutenant Sanders graduated in 1997 from Berkner |
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High School in Richardson and went on to study English at Texas A&M |
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University, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's |
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degrees; moved to make a positive contribution to the world, he |
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joined the army in June 2004 and subsequently attended officer |
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training school at Fort Benning, Georgia; commissioned as a second |
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lieutenant, he quickly rose to the rank of first lieutenant and |
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served as a tank platoon leader after being deployed to Iraq in |
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December 2005; he drew inspiration from his family's legacy of |
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military service, including his brothers, Jeff Sanders, who served |
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during the Gulf War, and Captain Greg Sanders, who serves in the |
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army; and |
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WHEREAS, As a youth, Lieutenant Sanders attained the |
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prestigious Eagle Scout badge and was an active member of First |
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Baptist Church of Richardson, along with his high school |
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sweetheart, Jennifer Graham, whom he married in 2001; a Shakespeare |
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aficionado and an animal and outdoors lover, he took great pleasure |
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in the company of his dogs, Storm and Daisy; and |
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WHEREAS, Our state and nation are fortunate to have young men |
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and women whose love of country leads them to military duty, and |
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time can never diminish the profound debt that Americans owe to Ryan |
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Sanders for the service he undertook and the sacrifice he rendered; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The thoughts and prayers of many go out to the family |
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of this beloved young man; he was a soldier of honor and valor, and |
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those who were fortunate to share in the blessing of his life will |
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forever carry him close in their hearts; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of First Lieutenant Ryan |
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T. Sanders and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: |
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to his wife, Jennifer Graham Sanders; to his parents, Jim and Kay |
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Sanders; to his brothers, Mike Sanders, Jeff Sanders, and Greg |
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Sanders and his wife, Heather; to his grandparents, Truett and |
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Joyce Sanders; to his nieces, McKenna and Allison Sanders; and to |
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his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of First |
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Lieutenant Ryan T. Sanders. |