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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established |
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to recognize gallant and intrepid service by a member of the state |
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or federal military forces, and Cleto L. Rodriguez proved himself a |
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deserving recipient of this prestigious award; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in San Marcos on April 26, 1923, Cleto |
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Rodriguez lost both his parents when he was nine, and he moved to |
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San Antonio to live with relatives; he joined the United States Army |
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in 1944, becoming a private in Company B of the 148th Infantry; and |
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WHEREAS, On February 9, 1945, during the battle for Manila in |
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the Philippines, Private Rodriguez and his unit were advancing on |
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the heavily defended Paco Railroad Station when they were pinned |
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down by intense enemy fire; at that point, Private Rodriguez and |
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Private First Class John Reese took the initiative to charge the |
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enemy position; the two men reached a house 60 yards from the |
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Japanese emplacements, and from that location, under the gaze of |
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enemy gunners, they killed 35 combatants; and |
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WHEREAS, On moving closer to their objective, the pair |
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spotted Japanese reinforcements moving toward the station; |
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Privates Rodriguez and Reese killed more than 40 of the group, which |
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discouraged further attempts to reinforce the Japanese defenses; |
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Private Reese then provided covering fire as Private Rodriguez ran |
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forward and lobbed five grenades into the station doorway, |
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destroying a 20mm gun and a heavy machine gun and eliminating their |
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crews; as the pair withdrew to their own lines, Private Reese was |
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mortally wounded; and |
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WHEREAS, The bold actions of Privates Rodriguez and Reese |
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threw Japanese defenses at the station into disarray and made |
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possible the subsequent seizure of the stronghold; two days later, |
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Private Rodriguez again enabled his comrades to move forward when |
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he singlehandedly killed six more enemy soldiers and took out |
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another 20mm gun; for having materially aided the advance of United |
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States troops in Manila, he was awarded the Medal of Honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Upon his return to San Antonio, Cleto Rodriguez was |
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presented with the key to the city; he worked as a representative |
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for the Veterans Administration and then served in the United |
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States Air Force from 1952 to 1954 and in the army from 1955 to 1970, |
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rising to the rank of master sergeant before his retirement; over |
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the years, he also served his community as a member of the League of |
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United Latin American Citizens; his boyhood elementary school was |
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renamed in his honor in 1975; and |
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WHEREAS, Married to Flora Muniz in November 1945, Cleto |
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Rodriguez became the proud father of four children; he passed away |
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on December 7, 1990, and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National |
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Cemetery; the following year, a section of United States Route 90 in |
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San Antonio was named after him; the city has two murals featuring |
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his likeness, at the Cassiano Homes housing project and at the San |
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Antonio Central Library; and |
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WHEREAS, Cleto Rodriguez repeatedly risked his life to |
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complete his mission and save the lives of his fellow soldiers, and |
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for his remarkable heroism, he is most assuredly deserving of this |
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state's supreme military award; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby direct the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously |
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award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Cleto L. Rodriguez in |
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recognition of his valiant service during World War II. |
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