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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, A life made rich through meaningful service drew to |
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a close with the death of retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel |
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Carlos Everado Lerma of Celina on March 31, 2019, at the age of 84; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Carlos Lerma was born in Kingsville on October 12, |
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1934, to Francisca and Mauro Lerma Jr., and he grew up with four |
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siblings, Mauro, Lucila, Nilda, and Ninfa; he was a star athlete at |
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Kingsville High School, where he lettered in football, basketball, |
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and track, and he attended Texas Tech University on a football |
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scholarship, earning a degree in civil engineering; and |
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WHEREAS, After working as a laboratory instructor at Texas |
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Tech and as an assistant highway project engineer for the State of |
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Texas, Mr. Lerma joined the U.S. Air Force; during his outstanding |
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career as a fighter pilot, he flew 300 combat missions in Southeast |
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Asia without losing a plane or a crew member and earned the coveted |
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"Top Gun" designation; his medals and commendations included the |
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Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal with two |
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oak leaf clusters, the Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters, and the |
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Vietnam Service Medal with oak leaf clusters, among many others; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, While still in the air force, Mr. Lerma earned a |
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master's degree in public administration from Auburn University |
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through the USAF Air War College, and after retiring at the rank of |
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lieutenant colonel, he returned to Kingsville and served his |
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beloved home town as city manager, securing over $15 million in |
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grants and projects for the city during his tenure; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Lerma was joined in matrimony to Dr. Sandra |
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Lanier-Lerma, and they shared a rewarding marriage that spanned 32 |
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years; he was the proud father of three children, Carlos Lerma, |
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Lawrence Berg Jr., and Diana Lerma Bounds, and later in life, he was |
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blessed with eight grandchildren, Gretchen, Rachel, Elizabeth, |
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Christopher, Cason, Caden, Haley, and Rhyan; and |
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WHEREAS, Carlos Lerma possessed a love of adventure and a |
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generosity of spirit that brightened the hearts of all those who |
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knew and loved him, and they will forever treasure their memories of |
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time spent in his company; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Lieutenant Colonel |
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(Ret.) Carlos Everado Lerma and extend heartfelt sympathy to his |
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family and many 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 Carlos |
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Lerma. |