80R16179 CBE-F

By: Callegari H.R. No. 1619

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, The family and friends of U.S. Marine Sergeant James Rodney Tijerina of Katy suffered an immeasurable loss with the death of this valiant soldier on February 7, 2007, at the age of 26, as a result of multiple traumatic injuries while a crew chief of a medical evacuation CH-46E helicopter that was shot down by hostile fire while conducting an urgent CASEVAC mission; and

WHEREAS, On that fateful morning, a U.S. service member was on a ventilator and required immediate surgery; Sergeant Tijerina's aircraft was in the number one slot and took the urgent CASEVAC mission; the helicopter crew safely delivered the service member and two other patients to the hospital in Balad; on the return trip, the team was asked to pick up a much-needed box of blood from Balad and deliver it to a field hospital near Fallujah; en route to Fallujah, the aircraft was shot down by a missile with all seven crew members on board; Sergeant Tijerina was flying with some of the best aircrew in the squadron, including Captain Jennifer Harris, Sergeant Travis Pfister, and First Lieutenant Jared Landaker; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Tijerina was assigned to Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364, "The Purple Foxes," Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp Pendleton, California; he was on his second tour of duty in Iraq; he reenlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps and, as noted by Lieutenant Colonel S. C. Killeen, his commanding officer, "James was excited about his orders to Hawaii. He was looking forward to spending time with his wife, Clowean, and having a job that would not take him away from her on deployment. He enjoyed flying and was excited about his future, but he remained focused on the noblest mission in Marine aviation, casualty evacuation. He knew that going to the aid of our wounded Marines was the highest calling and he always answered that call."; and

WHEREAS, Born on April 13, 1980, to Peter Tijerina and Lilia Escamilla Carr, James Tijerina was a graduate of Katy High School, where he played tight end for the 1997 state championship football team; in 2002, he fulfilled a long-held desire to serve his country, and it was while stationed at Camp Pendleton that he met Clowean Lotoy, whom he married in the summer of 2006; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Tijerina cared deeply for animals and nature, and especially enjoyed visits to Yosemite National Park; a natural athlete as well, he won first place among 250 other soldiers in a 5K race at Camp Taqaddum just weeks before his passing; his family and friends take comfort in the many writings he left behind; in his last poem, titled "Faithful American," he describes his reverence for his country:

"I was born inside this country

That gives my dreams . . . a chance to be

I respect all that it stands for

The comforting embrace it gives . . . to you and me

I will never take for granted,

I will gladly die for . . .

A nation that means freedom

I could ask for nothing more

America isn't perfect

She's had her problems in the past

But her intentions are for the better

Her resolve will always last

Not everyone feels . . . the same exact way

Sometimes there are pessimists

With negative words to say

They don't believe in America,

They've forgotten her history

That has gotten us this far,

Turning their back on faith

Disregarding who they are

We must believe in this nation

We must trust its destiny

She is guided under God

She will never be held captive, She will always be free"; and

WHEREAS, Highly decorated for his courageous service, Sergeant Tijerina was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal; and

WHEREAS, Our state and nation are fortunate to have young men and women whose love for their country inspires them to military service, yet the tragic death of Sergeant James Tijerina is a sobering reminder of the cost of war; Americans owe a profound debt to our nation's servicemen and servicewomen, whose valiant efforts and enormous sacrifices are deserving of their fellow citizens' deepest respect and gratitude; and

WHEREAS, Although the loss of Sergeant James Tijerina has left a void in the lives of all who knew and loved him, memories of his passion for life, nature, and his kind and caring ways will forever endure in their hearts; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Sergeant James Tijerina and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his wife, Clowean Lotoy Tijerina; to his mother and stepfather, Lilia and William R. Carr; to his father, Peter Tijerina; to his sister, Lynn Ann Shaw; to his brothers, Peter Tijerina II, William R. Carr, Jr., and Daniel Forrest Carr; to his grandmother, Tomasa V. Tijerina; 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 Sergeant James Rodney Tijerina.