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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A full and generous life came to an end with the |
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passing of Dr. Billy Jim "Doc" Blankenship of Corpus Christi, who |
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died on October 22, 2010, at the age of 82; and |
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WHEREAS, A fifth-generation Texan, Billy J. Blankenship was |
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born in Longview on February 13, 1928, to John Oscar and Jimmie |
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Sunshine Blankenship; he grew up in Mineola, where he was a member |
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of the Boy Scouts and lettered in track and football; he |
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demonstrated his extraordinary spirit at an early age, as he |
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rescued an elderly woman from her burning house and was recommended |
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for a Carnegie Medal for Heroism; and |
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WHEREAS, After graduating from Polytechnic High School in |
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Fort Worth at the age of 16, Mr. Blankenship entered North Texas |
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Agricultural College and joined the Reserve Officers' Training |
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Corps; he enlisted in the U.S. Merchant Marine at 17, and a year |
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later transferred to the U.S. Navy, serving in the Pacific for two |
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years; after his military service, he returned to the merchant |
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marine, sailing around the world five times before the age of 21; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In 1951, Mr. Blankenship resumed his education, |
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earning two bachelor's degrees and a master's degree from Stephen F. |
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Austin State College; during his college years, he was joined in |
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matrimony to the former Carolyn Keeling, and they enjoyed a |
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fulfilling relationship that endured until his death and were the |
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parents of three daughters, Roberta, Jimmie, and Jean; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Blankenship received his dental degree from The |
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University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston in 1958, and in 1963 he |
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earned his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical |
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Branch in Galveston, with a specialty in oral and maxillofacial |
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surgery; during the course of a long and successful career, he |
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worked on the staffs of 40 hospitals and published 150 scientific |
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articles; he taught full-time and part-time for a total of 21 years, |
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and he retired as a professor of surgery from The University of |
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Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, This patriotic American dedicated much of his life |
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to his work as a military doctor, starting with service as a dental |
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officer with the U.S. Naval Reserve and the U.S. Marine Corps |
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Reserve; he later became a battalion surgeon for the USMCR, and in |
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1966 he volunteered for service in Vietnam, where he was wounded in |
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combat; after working as a flight surgeon for the U.S. Air Force |
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Reserve, he returned to active duty in the navy in 1974, serving as |
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medical officer on submarines, division surgeon for the Marines on |
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Okinawa, director of clinical services at the Naval Hospital in |
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Corpus Christi, and senior naval medical officer with the European |
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Command of the U.S. Army, among other postings; he retired from the |
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navy at the rank of captain; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Blankenship's outstanding service to his |
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country was recognized with 55 military decorations, including the |
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Purple Heart, the Legion of Merit, and the Navy and Marine Corps |
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Medal; he was also the recipient of a certificate of appreciation |
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from the U.S. Department of State, a postdoctoral fellowship from |
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the U.S. Public Health Service, and a certificate of humanitarian |
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service from the American Heart Association; and |
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WHEREAS, This dynamic individual also found time to |
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participate in a number of commercial enterprises over the years, |
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including farming and ranching, the oil and gas industry, real |
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estate, and the restaurant business, among many others; he was a |
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trained pilot, deep-sea diver, and parachutist, and he visited all |
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50 states and 90 foreign countries, including three tours as a |
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medical missionary in Central America; in retirement, he became a |
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beloved member of the Padre Island community; and |
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WHEREAS, "Doc" Blankenship lived a life of high adventure and |
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extraordinary achievement, and throughout all his travels, he |
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dedicated himself to the relief of suffering and the service of his |
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nation, enjoying the love and support of his family and earning the |
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deep and lasting respect of all who knew him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Dr. Billy Jim |
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Blankenship and extend sincere condolences to the members of his |
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family: to his wife of 58 years, Carolyn Blankenship; to his |
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daughters, Roberta Soward and her husband, Fred, and Jean Ann |
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Paluseo and her husband, Jeff; to his grandchildren, Jackson |
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Soward, Cassidy Soward, Jayden Paluseo, Journey Paluseo, and Jazlyn |
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Paluseo; and to his other 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 Dr. Billy |
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Jim Blankenship. |