H.C.R. No. 79

	HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, Words cannot adequately express the heartache felt
	at the loss of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Colton Wesley Rusk
	of Orange Grove, who died in Afghanistan on December 6, 2010, at the
	age of 20; and
	WHEREAS, Born on September 23, 1990, in Corpus Christi to
	Darrell and Kathy Rusk, Colton Rusk attended Orange Grove High
	School, where he excelled in sports, lettering in both football and
	baseball; known for his winning personality and brilliant smile, he
	was named the senior class favorite, prom king, and Mr. Orange Grove
	High School by his fellow students; an avid outdoorsman, he loved
	hunting and fishing, and he enjoyed team roping on his horse, Pam,
	with his best friend, Justin Rokohl, his brother Cody, and his
	father, Darrell; and
	WHEREAS, In June 2008, the summer before his senior year,
	this patriotic young Texan took the first step toward fulfilling
	his dream of becoming a marine by enlisting in the corps's delayed
	entry program; a year later, he received his diploma and embarked
	for basic training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego;
	and
	WHEREAS, Lance Corporal Rusk was deployed to Afghanistan on
	his 20th birthday, September 23, 2010; he served his country
	courageously as a member of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment,
	1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at Camp
	Pendleton, California, and he was recognized with the Purple Heart,
	the Combat Action Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the
	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign
	Medal; and
	WHEREAS, A machine gunner with Weapons Company, Lance
	Corporal Rusk was selected to train as a dog handler with the
	Improvised Explosive Device Detection team; he shared a special
	bond with Eli, the black Labrador retriever that accompanied him to
	Afghanistan, and they worked as a team to save the lives of American
	troops by detecting hidden bombs and weapons; when Lance Corporal
	Rusk was mortally wounded, Eli steadfastly remained by his side;
	Eli has since been retired from service and adopted by the Rusk
	family; and
	WHEREAS, The Marine Corps values of honor, courage, and
	commitment have had no finer champion than Lance Corporal Colton
	Rusk, and all who knew this brave young Texan will forever remember
	him with admiration and gratitude; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas
	hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal
	Colton Wesley Rusk and extend deepest sympathy to the members of his
	family: to his parents, Darrell and Kathy Rusk; to his brothers,
	Cody and Brady Rusk; to his grandparents, Wayne and Katy O'Neal and
	Jan Rusk; to his great-grandmother, Vivian Alphin; to his aunts,
	Stacy Hoot, Crystal Blakeney, and Yvonne Rusk; to his uncles, Wayne
	O'Neal, Jr., and Brian Rusk; and to his other relatives and 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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of
	Lance Corporal Colton Rusk.
	Aliseda
	Sheets
	Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison
	Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr.
	Allen Gooden Murphy
	Alonzo Guillen Naishtat
	Alvarado Gutierrez Nash
	Anchia Hamilton Oliveira
	Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr
	Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto
	Aycock Harless Parker
	Beck Harper-Brown Patrick
	Berman Hartnett Paxton
	Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena
	Bonnen Hilderbran Perry
	Branch Hochberg Phillips
	Brown Hopson Pickett
	Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts
	Burnam Howard of Travis Price
	Button Huberty Quintanilla
	Cain Hughes Raymond
	Callegari Hunter Reynolds
	Carter Isaac Riddle
	Castro Jackson Ritter
	Chisum Johnson Rodriguez
	Christian Keffer Schwertner
	Coleman King of Parker Scott
	Cook King of Taylor Sheets
	Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield
	Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton
	Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson
	Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris
	Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant
	J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee
	S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons
	Deshotel Lavender Strama
	Driver Legler Taylor of Collin
	Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston
	Dutton Lozano Thompson
	Eiland Lucio III Torres
	Eissler Lyne Truitt
	Elkins Madden Turner
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Margo Villarreal
	Fletcher Marquez Vo
	Flynn Martinez Walle
	Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber
	Gallego McClendon White
	Garza Menendez Woolley
	Geren Miles Workman
	Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler
	Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 79 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the House on March 29, 2011.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 79 was unanimously adopted by a rising
	vote of the Senate on March 30, 2011.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor