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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, U.S. Army Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña of Newgulf |
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gave his life to save his fellow soldiers during the Korean War, and |
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his heroism was posthumously recognized with the bestowal of a |
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Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on March 18, 2014; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on November 6, 1924, Mike Peña was the son of |
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Mexican immigrants Miguel and Maria Peña; in 1940, two months shy of |
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his 16th birthday, he enlisted in the army in Houston after |
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misrepresenting his age to recruiters; he was assigned to the 5th |
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Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and received training at |
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Fort Clark in Brackettville and Fort Bliss in El Paso; just a year |
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after his induction into the service, the Japanese surprise attack |
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on Pearl Harbor precipitated the United States' entry into World |
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War II; and |
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WHEREAS, Deployed to the Pacific theater in 1943, Sergeant |
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Peña fought to liberate the Philippines from Japanese forces and |
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later took part in the occupation of Japan with members of his |
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division; he received an honorable discharge on October 3, 1945, |
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and reenlisted the same day; a month earlier, on September 5, he had |
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married his sweetheart, the former Aurora Lola Urenda, and their |
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life together would be enriched by the birth of two sons, Michael |
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David and Frederick William; for a time, the family resided at Camp |
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McGill in occupied Japan before moving to Camp Carson in Colorado; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In late June 1950, the U.S. military was again |
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called upon when soldiers from communist North Korea invaded South |
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Korea; Sergeant Peña volunteered to return to action, rejoining the |
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5th Cavalry Regiment, and participated in an amphibious landing at |
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P'ohang-dong, Korea, in July 1950; the 1st Cavalry Division was |
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ordered to defend a 35-mile sector along the Nakdong River, which |
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became the scene of intense fighting as enemy combatants pushed |
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from the north; and |
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WHEREAS, On September 4, 1950, Sergeant Peña and his platoon |
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were posted near Waegwan, when a North Korean Army battalion |
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emerged only yards away, having advanced under the shroud of |
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darkness and mist; the platoon opened fire but was caught off-guard |
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by the attack and was forced to withdraw; Sergeant Peña swiftly |
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rallied his troops and led them in a counterattack that succeeded in |
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regaining their lost ground; and |
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WHEREAS, Sergeant Peña and his men then established a |
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defensive perimeter and attempted to repel the North Koreans' |
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repeated assaults, but the enemy enjoyed an overwhelming numerical |
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advantage; when the platoon's ammunition supply began to dwindle, |
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Sergeant Peña commanded his men to fall back and seized a machine |
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gun to provide cover for the retreating troops; making a heroic |
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stand, he held back the enemy singlehandedly until the early |
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morning hours, when his position was overrun and he was fatally |
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wounded; he died at the age of 25, on the date of his fifth wedding |
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anniversary; and |
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WHEREAS, The outstanding service that Sergeant Peña rendered |
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over the course of his military career brought him numerous |
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decorations and awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross, |
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which was conferred posthumously, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple |
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Heart with two oak leaf clusters, and the Army Good Conduct Medal |
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with bronze clasp and two loops; Sergeant Peña was buried with full |
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military honors at Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City; and |
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WHEREAS, For his extraordinary gallantry and immeasurable |
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sacrifice, Americans owe Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña a debt that |
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the passage of time can never diminish; his actions represent the |
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proudest tradition of service to country, and he is indeed |
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deserving of our nation's supreme award for valor; now, therefore, |
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be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the posthumous presentation of the |
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Medal of Honor to Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña; 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 Master |
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Sergeant Mike C. Peña. |
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Stephenson |
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Anderson of McLennan |
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Israel |
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Keough |
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King of Uvalde |
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Miller of Fort Bend |
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Spitzer |
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| Anderson of Dallas |
Herrero |
Phelan |
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| Anderson of McLennan |
Howard |
Phillips |
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| Bonnen of Brazoria |
Johnson |
Riddle |
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| Bonnen of Galveston |
Kacal |
Rinaldi |
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| Burkett |
Keffer |
Rodriguez of Bexar |
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| Burns |
Keough |
Rodriguez of Travis |
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| Burrows |
King of Hemphill |
Romero, Jr. |
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| Button |
King of Parker |
Rose |
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| Canales |
King of Taylor |
Sanford |
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| Capriglione |
King of Uvalde |
Schaefer |
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| Craddick |
Landgraf |
Simmons |
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| Davis of Dallas |
Longoria |
Spitzer |
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| Davis of Harris |
Lozano |
Springer |
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| Deshotel |
Lucio III |
Stephenson |
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| Dutton |
Martinez |
Thompson of Brazoria |
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| Elkins |
Martinez Fischer |
Thompson of Harris |
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| Faircloth |
McClendon |
Tinderholt |
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| Fallon |
Menéndez |
Turner of Collin |
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| Farias |
Metcalf |
Turner of Harris |
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| Farney |
Meyer |
Turner of Tarrant |
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| Fletcher |
Miller of Comal |
Villalba |
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| Flynn |
Miller of Fort Bend |
Vo |
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| Frullo |
Morrison |
White of Bell |
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| Galindo |
Muñoz, Jr. |
White of Tyler |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 96 was adopted by the House on February |
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19, 2015, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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