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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 Specialist |
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Rodney Jerome Johnson of Houston suffered an incalculable loss with |
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the death of this valiant soldier on September 4, 2007, at the age |
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of 20; and |
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WHEREAS, Assigned as a cavalry scout to the 1st Squadron, 4th |
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Cavalry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry |
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Division based in Fort Riley, Kansas, Specialist Johnson was |
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mortally wounded when insurgents attacked his unit in Baghdad, |
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Iraq; and |
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WHEREAS, Specialist Johnson was the son of Rodney Johnson, |
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Sr., and Charlotte Johnson; he graduated from Hastings High School |
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and joined the army in September 2005, a few months before his |
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wedding to the former Ashley Cavazos; he began serving with the 1st |
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Infantry Division in March 2006 and was deployed to Iraq the |
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following February; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted husband and father, Specialist Johnson |
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cared deeply about his daughter, Ja'Aliyah Johnson, and wrote |
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moving letters to his beloved wife; he was looking forward to the |
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birth of their second child, Nysiah, with great anticipation; 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 |
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Specialist Johnson for the service he undertook and the sacrifice |
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he rendered; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his selfless devotion to duty, honor, and |
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his country, Rodney Johnson embodied the highest ideals of the |
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armed services, and his memory will be forever treasured by those |
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who shared in the blessing of his life; now, therefore, 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 Specialist Rodney |
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Jerome Johnson and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Ashley Johnson; to his children, Ja'Aliyah and |
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Nysiah; to his father, Rodney J. Johnson, Sr.; to his mother, |
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Charlotte S. Johnson; to his sister, Marci Johnson; to his |
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brothers, Andrew Whitson and Markis Mitchell; and to his other |
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relatives and 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 U.S. Army |
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Specialist Rodney Jerome Johnson. |