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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The friends and family of U.S. Army Sergeant Garrett |
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I. McLead suffered an immeasurable loss when he died on August 22, |
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2007, at the age of 23, while serving in Iraq; and |
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WHEREAS, A sniper who also did reconnaissance work, Sergeant |
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McLead died of injuries sustained in a helicopter crash near |
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Kirkuk; he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry |
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Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, |
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based at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Patrick and Patricia McLead of Aransas |
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Pass, Garrett Ian McLead was born in Houston and grew up in |
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Rockport; he attended Rockport High School, where he played in the |
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band, competed in varsity tennis and soccer, and worked on the |
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yearbook staff; an upbeat and outgoing prankster with a warm smile |
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and infectious laugh, he enjoyed skateboarding, surfing, and |
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spending time with his lively, close-knit group of friends; he |
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possessed a deep faith and was a valued member of First Baptist |
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Church of Rockport and organized its annual Big Kahuna Surf Trip; in |
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addition, he was a member of Young Life Rockport and of the Third |
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Coast Squadron/Commemorative Air Force; and |
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WHEREAS, This valiant soldier dreamed of becoming an actor as |
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a boy, but following the attacks of September 11, 2001, he felt |
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called to serve his country and enlisted in the army shortly after |
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his birthday in May 2002, the year he graduated; his adventurous |
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nature led him to sign up for sniper school and mountain survival |
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training; after his initial tour of duty in Afghanistan, he chose to |
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re-enlist and took great pride in the important work he was doing in |
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Iraq; 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 service in the |
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military, and time can never diminish the profound debt that |
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Americans owe to Sergeant McLead for his sacrifice; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Sergeant Garrett |
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McLead and extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn his passing; |
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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 Sergeant |
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Garrett I. McLead. |