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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life drew to a close with the |
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death of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) W. L. Crouch of |
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Rockport on November 17, 2016, at the age of 91; and |
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WHEREAS, "Babe" Crouch was born in Wilson, Oklahoma, on |
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September 25, 1925, to Leo and Audrey Crouch, and grew up in |
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Kilgore; in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and attended boot |
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camp at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the course of his 30 years in the navy, |
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Mr. Crouch steadily worked his way up through the ranks and served |
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all over the world, including the South Pacific, Japan, Korea, the |
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Philippines, the Azores, and Cuba; in the early 1960s, as a |
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production and quality control officer, he worked on the Lunar |
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Excursion Module later used in the Apollo moon missions, and he |
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participated in research on the Polaris nuclear missile; he |
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subsequently served off the coast of Vietnam aboard the aircraft |
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carrier USS Yorktown; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Crouch's many commendations included the World |
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War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the |
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American Campaign Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United |
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Nations Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam |
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Service Medal, among many others; he retired from the navy at the |
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rank of lieutenant commander in 1973; and |
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WHEREAS, That same year, Lieutenant Commander Crouch settled |
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in Texas and joined the Navy League Sea Cadet Program, and he spent |
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the rest of his life training young cadets in basic seamanship, |
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self-reliance, leadership, and discipline; he served as Sea Cadet |
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National Vice President, Southwest Field Representative, and |
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commanding officer of the training ship Alamo, among other |
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positions; in 1998, he received the Superior Public Service Award |
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from the secretary of the navy, and in 2004, he was named an admiral |
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in the Texas Navy; and |
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WHEREAS, This distinguished officer married Lieutenant |
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Commander Suzy Williams of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps in 2002; he |
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took pride in a fine family that included his daughter, Cindy |
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Crouch, and his stepdaughter, Roxanna Hott, as well as his wife's |
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children and grandchildren; since his baptism in 2002, he had been |
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an active member of First Baptist Church in Rockport; and |
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WHEREAS, Lieutenant Commander Crouch possessed the courage |
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and initiative that defined the finest members of his generation, |
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and his exemplary service to his country will forever inspire all |
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who had the privilege to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Lieutenant Commander |
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W. L. Crouch and extend sincere condolences to his family and |
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friends; 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 W. L. |
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Crouch. |
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Hunter |
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Herrero |
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Morrison |
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Lozano |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 231 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on February 23, 2017. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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