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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 First Class |
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George Benton Turner proved himself a deserving recipient of this |
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prestigious commendation with his heroic actions during World War |
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II; and |
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WHEREAS, George Turner was born in Longview in 1899, the son |
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of Gaines and Emme Turner, and he later attended Wentworth Military |
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Academy in Lexington, Missouri; during World War I, he enlisted in |
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the U.S. Marine Corps, but the conflict ended before he had a chance |
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to see action; after the war, he settled in California and married; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, When the United States entered World War II, |
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Mr. Turner answered his nation's call to duty once again and |
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enlisted in the U.S. Army even though he was already in his forties; |
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during training, he demonstrated his dedication to duty and his |
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determination to prove himself in combat, and he quickly won the |
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respect of his officers and fellow soldiers, many of whom were young |
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enough to be his children; on several occasions, he refused a |
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promotion, knowing it would keep him from the front lines; and |
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WHEREAS, By 1945, Private Turner was serving in France with |
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the 499th Armored Field Artillery Battalion of the 14th Armored |
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Division; on January 3, he was acting as a forward observer in the |
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village of Philippsbourg, only a few miles from the German border, |
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when he found himself cut off from his unit by an enemy armored |
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infantry attack; and |
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WHEREAS, After encountering an Allied infantry company that |
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was retreating before the German advance, Private Turner spotted |
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two enemy tanks and 75 German soldiers advancing up the main street |
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of the village; despite the staggering odds, he held his ground |
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under heavy fire and used a rocket launcher to destroy one of the |
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tanks and to disable the other; he then removed a machine gun from a |
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nearby half-track and used it to further disrupt the enemy |
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onslaught; in the ensuing American counterattack, two U.S. tanks |
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were disabled, and Private Turner again sprang into action, firing |
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a light machine gun from the hip to hold off the Germans so that the |
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American tank crews could escape; he attempted to rescue a soldier |
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from one of the burning tanks but was driven back and wounded when |
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the tank's ammunition exploded; and |
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WHEREAS, Despite his injuries, Private Turner refused to be |
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evacuated, and he continued to fight until the next day; during that |
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time, he helped drive off an enemy patrol, took part in the capture |
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of a German position, and drove a truck through heavy fire to |
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deliver wounded men to an aid station in the rear; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of his magnificent heroism, Private |
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Turner was presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor by |
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President Harry Truman on August 23, 1945; at the age of 46, he was |
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one of the oldest individuals to receive that illustrious |
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commendation in World War II; following his return to civilian |
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life, he died in Encino, California, in 1963, and was buried in |
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Arlington National Cemetery; and |
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WHEREAS, George Turner's extraordinary actions on the field |
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of battle distinguished him as a warrior of peerless courage, and it |
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is indeed appropriate that he be honored with the highest military |
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award granted by the state where he was born; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th 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 George Benton Turner |
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in recognition of his valiant service during World War II. |