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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. |