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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 U.S. Army Private Marcelino Serna |
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proved himself a deserving recipient of this prestigious honor with |
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his heroic actions during World War I; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1896, Mr. Serna came |
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to the United States as a young man and spent time in Texas, Kansas, |
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and Colorado; after the United States entered World War I in 1917, |
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he enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 20, and after only three |
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weeks of training, he was shipped overseas with the 355th Infantry, |
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89th Division; when his superior officers in France learned that he |
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was not a U.S. citizen, they gave him the opportunity to return |
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home, but Private Serna chose to stay and fight; and |
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WHEREAS, Private Serna quickly established himself as a |
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remarkable soldier, and on at least two occasions, he demonstrated |
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exceptional resourcefulness and courage; during an engagement near |
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the French town of St. Mihiel, 12 members of his unit were hit by |
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fire from an enemy machine gun, and Private Serna obtained |
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permission from his lieutenant to scout out the gun emplacement on |
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his own; moving through heavy fire, and surviving two rounds that |
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were deflected by his helmet, he tossed four hand grenades into the |
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machine gun nest, killing six of the enemy; he then took the eight |
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survivors captive; and |
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WHEREAS, Shortly thereafter, during the Meuse-Argonne |
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campaign, Private Serna embarked on a second lone scouting mission; |
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he began by wounding a German sniper with a shot from 200 yards, |
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then followed the injured man into a trench; firing and hurling |
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grenades in all directions to make it seem as if he were part of a |
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larger force, he shot three German soldiers immediately, then |
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attacked an enemy dugout, felling 26 more and capturing 24; he |
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single-handedly held the prisoners at gunpoint until other members |
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of his unit arrived; and |
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WHEREAS, Private Serna continued to serve in combat until the |
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end of the war, receiving a wound in each leg, and while he was |
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recovering in a French hospital, he was presented with the |
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Distinguished Service Cross from the American commander in France, |
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General John J. Pershing; he also earned the World War I Victory |
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Medal with five stars, the Victory Medal with three campaign bars, |
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the St. Mihiel Medal, the Verdun Medal, and two Purple Hearts; he |
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was further decorated by the governments of France, Italy, and the |
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United Kingdom, receiving two French Croix de Guerre with Palm |
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Medals, the French Medaille Militaire, the French Commemorative |
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Medal, the British Medal of Honor, and the Italian Cross of Merit; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, After returning to the United States, Mr. Serna |
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became a U.S. citizen in 1924 and settled in El Paso, where he lived |
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until his death in 1992; he was the most decorated Texas veteran of |
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World War I, winning every major military award short of the |
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Congressional Medal of Honor, and petitions have been put forth on |
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several occasions to grant him that commendation as well; and |
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WHEREAS, Marcelino Serna's courageous battlefield actions |
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during World War I have been recognized with a host of illustrious |
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commendations, and it is indeed appropriate that he be honored with |
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the highest military award granted by the state in which he made his |
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home; 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 Marcelino Serna in |
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recognition of his valiant efforts during World War I. |