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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The family and friends of U.S. Marine Sergeant James |
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Rodney Tijerina of Katy suffered an immeasurable loss with the |
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death of this valiant soldier on February 7, 2007, at the age of 26, |
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as a result of multiple traumatic injuries while a crew chief of a |
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medical evacuation CH-46E helicopter that was shot down by hostile |
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fire while conducting an urgent CASEVAC mission; and |
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WHEREAS, On that fateful morning, a U.S. service member was |
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on a ventilator and required immediate surgery; Sergeant Tijerina's |
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aircraft was in the number one slot and took the urgent CASEVAC |
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mission; the helicopter crew safely delivered the service member |
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and two other patients to the hospital in Balad; on the return trip, |
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the team was asked to pick up a much-needed box of blood from Balad |
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and deliver it to a field hospital near Fallujah; en route to |
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Fallujah, the aircraft was shot down by a missile with all seven |
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crew members on board; Sergeant Tijerina was flying with some of the |
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best aircrew in the squadron, including Captain Jennifer Harris, |
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Sergeant Travis Pfister, and First Lieutenant Jared Landaker; and |
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WHEREAS, Sergeant Tijerina was assigned to Marine Medium |
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Helicopter Squadron 364, "The Purple Foxes," Marine Aircraft Group |
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39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp |
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Pendleton, California; he was on his second tour of duty in Iraq; he |
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reenlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps and, as noted by Lieutenant |
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Colonel S. C. Killeen, his commanding officer, "James was excited |
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about his orders to Hawaii. He was looking forward to spending time |
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with his wife, Clowean, and having a job that would not take him |
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away from her on deployment. He enjoyed flying and was excited |
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about his future, but he remained focused on the noblest mission in |
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Marine aviation, casualty evacuation. He knew that going to the aid |
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of our wounded Marines was the highest calling and he always |
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answered that call."; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on April 13, 1980, to Peter Tijerina and Lilia |
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Escamilla Carr, James Tijerina was a graduate of Katy High School, |
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where he played tight end for the 1997 state championship football |
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team; in 2002, he fulfilled a long-held desire to serve his country, |
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and it was while stationed at Camp Pendleton that he met Clowean |
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Lotoy, whom he married in the summer of 2006; and |
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WHEREAS, Sergeant Tijerina cared deeply for animals and |
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nature, and especially enjoyed visits to Yosemite National Park; a |
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natural athlete as well, he won first place among 250 other soldiers |
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in a 5K race at Camp Taqaddum just weeks before his passing; his |
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family and friends take comfort in the many writings he left behind; |
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in his last poem, titled "Faithful American," he describes his |
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reverence for his country: |
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"I was born inside this country |
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That gives my dreams . . . a chance to be |
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I respect all that it stands for |
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The comforting embrace it gives . . . to you and me |
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I will never take for granted, |
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I will gladly die for . . . |
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A nation that means freedom |
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I could ask for nothing more |
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America isn't perfect |
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She's had her problems in the past |
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But her intentions are for the better |
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Her resolve will always last |
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Not everyone feels . . . the same exact way |
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Sometimes there are pessimists |
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With negative words to say |
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They don't believe in America, |
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They've forgotten her history |
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That has gotten us this far, |
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Turning their back on faith |
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Disregarding who they are |
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We must believe in this nation |
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We must trust its destiny |
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She is guided under God |
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She will never be held captive, She will always be free"; and |
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WHEREAS, Highly decorated for his courageous service, |
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Sergeant Tijerina was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the |
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Sea Service Deployment Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global |
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War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism |
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Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Purple |
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Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal; and |
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WHEREAS, Our state and nation are fortunate to have young men |
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and women whose love for their country inspires them to military |
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service, yet the tragic death of Sergeant James Tijerina is a |
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sobering reminder of the cost of war; Americans owe a profound debt |
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to our nation's servicemen and servicewomen, whose valiant efforts |
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and enormous sacrifices are deserving of their fellow citizens' |
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deepest respect and gratitude; and |
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WHEREAS, Although the loss of Sergeant James Tijerina has |
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left a void in the lives of all who knew and loved him, memories of |
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his passion for life, nature, and his kind and caring ways will |
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forever endure 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 Sergeant James |
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Tijerina and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: |
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to his wife, Clowean Lotoy Tijerina; to his mother and stepfather, |
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Lilia and William R. Carr; to his father, Peter Tijerina; to his |
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sister, Lynn Ann Shaw; to his brothers, Peter Tijerina II, William |
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R. Carr, Jr., and Daniel Forrest Carr; to his grandmother, Tomasa V. |
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Tijerina; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it |
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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 U.S. Marine |
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Sergeant James Rodney Tijerina. |
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Callegari |
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Anderson |
Gonzalez Toureilles |
Mowery |
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Brown of Kaufman |
Harper-Brown |
Ortiz, Jr. |
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Brown of Brazos |
Hartnett |
Otto |
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Callegari |
Hernandez |
Patrick |
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Christian |
Hochberg |
Pickett |
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Cook of Navarro |
Hopson |
Puente |
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Cook of Colorado |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Quintanilla |
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Corte |
Howard of Travis |
Raymond |
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Crownover |
Jackson |
Rodriguez |
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Davis of Harris |
Keffer |
Smith of Tarrant |
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Davis of Dallas |
King of Parker |
Smith of Harris |
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Delisi |
King of Taylor |
Smithee |
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Deshotel |
King of Zavala |
Solomons |
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Eissler |
Leibowitz |
Thompson |
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Escobar |
Madden |
Van Arsdale |
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Farabee |
Mallory Caraway |
Vaught |
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Farrar |
Martinez Fischer |
Villarreal |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1619 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on May 11, 2007. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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