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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Rene Garcia Gonzalez of Hebbronville served his |
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country with great distinction as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps |
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during the Vietnam War, and he truly merits special recognition for |
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his heroism and his devotion to duty; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of Jesus and Florencia Gonzalez, Rene |
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Gonzalez enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1967, and he fought bravely |
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for nearly 13 months in Vietnam as a machine gunner with the 1st |
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Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, Charlie |
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Company, 3rd Platoon, 1st Squad; and |
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WHEREAS, On June 4, 1968, Corporal Gonzalez was airlifted |
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with 180 other marines to Landing Zone Loon, a fire base four miles |
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from Khe Sanh, near the border with North Vietnam and Laos; the base |
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was entirely surrounded by regular soldiers of the North Vietnamese |
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Army, and on June 5, Corporal Gonzalez's unit began to endure an |
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artillery barrage and constant automatic weapons fire from the |
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enemy on a nearby ridge; and |
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WHEREAS, The following morning, the 88th NVA Regiment |
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assaulted LZ Loon and overran the perimeter; Corporal Gonzalez |
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courageously defended his foxhole, hurling hand grenades at enemy |
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soldiers crawling up a ravine, and he and his assistant gunner were |
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badly wounded when an enemy mortar shell hit their position; and |
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WHEREAS, In the end, the enemy was driven back when the only |
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surviving marine officer called in an artillery strike on their own |
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position; 41 marines were killed and more than 100 wounded in the |
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engagement, one of the deadliest of the Vietnam War; Corporal |
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Gonzalez was flown to Khe Sanh and then to a hospital in Japan, and |
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he received a Purple Heart and an honorable discharge because of the |
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wounds he received that day; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, Mr. Gonzalez remains proud of his military |
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service; he is a lifetime member of the Military Order of the Purple |
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Heart as well as an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, |
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the Disabled American Veterans, and the Third Marine Division |
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Association; and |
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WHEREAS, A devoted family man, Mr. Gonzalez is blessed with |
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the love and support of his wife, Antonia Guerra Gonzalez, his sons, |
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Rene Gonzalez Jr. and Oziel Gonzalez, and his daughters, Maria I. |
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Gonzalez Lascano and Sonia Gonzalez; and |
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WHEREAS, Rene Gonzalez endured the hardships of war with |
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courage and tenacity, and he has earned a lasting debt of honor from |
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every American; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend former U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Rene |
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Garcia Gonzalez for his valiant service during the Vietnam War and |
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extend to him sincere appreciation for his immeasurable efforts in |
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this country's behalf; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Gonzalez as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |
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Guillen |
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| Anderson of Dallas |
Hernandez |
Phelan |
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| Anderson of McLennan |
Herrero |
Phillips |
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| Bonnen of Brazoria |
Johnson |
Rinaldi |
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| Bonnen of Galveston |
Kacal |
Rodriguez of Bexar |
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| Burkett |
Keffer |
Rodriguez of Travis |
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| Burrows |
King of Hemphill |
Rose |
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| Button |
King of Parker |
Sanford |
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| Canales |
King of Taylor |
Schaefer |
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| Capriglione |
King of Uvalde |
Schofield |
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| Craddick |
Landgraf |
Simmons |
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| Davis of Dallas |
Lozano |
Springer |
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| Davis of Harris |
Lucio III |
Stephenson |
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| Deshotel |
Márquez |
Stickland |
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| Dukes |
Martinez |
Thompson of Brazoria |
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| Dutton |
Martinez Fischer |
Thompson of Harris |
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| Elkins |
McClendon |
Tinderholt |
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| Faircloth |
Metcalf |
Turner of Collin |
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| Fallon |
Meyer |
Turner of Harris |
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| Farias |
Miles |
Turner of Tarrant |
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| Farney |
Miller of Comal |
VanDeaver |
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| Farrar |
Miller of Fort Bend |
Villalba |
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| Frank |
Morrison |
White of Bell |
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| Frullo |
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. 1774 was adopted by the House on May 7, |
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2015, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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