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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The heroism of former Texas A&M University president |
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James Earl Rudder during World War II is being honored with the |
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dedication of a statue on the grounds of the McCulloch County |
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Courthouse in Brady on June 6, 2019, the 75th anniversary of D-Day; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Sculpted by Troy Kelley of Salado, this striking |
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eight-and-a-half-foot bronze statue depicts Lieutenant Colonel |
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Rudder in full combat gear as he led the 2nd Battalion of Army |
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Rangers ashore in Normandy on that fateful day in 1944; under |
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withering fire from the enemy, Colonel Rudder and his men scaled the |
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100-foot cliffs at Pointe du Hoc and destroyed the German batteries |
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there; half the men in the battalion were killed or injured, and |
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Lieutenant Colonel Rudder himself was wounded twice; and |
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WHEREAS, This heroic American went on to command the 109th |
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Infantry Regiment at the Battle of the Bulge; promoted to full |
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colonel, he was highly decorated, earning the Distinguished Service |
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Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with |
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oak leaf cluster, the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster, and the |
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French Legion of Honor with croix de guerre, among others; after the |
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war, he continued to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve, winning |
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promotion to brigadier general in 1954 and to major general in 1957; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Rudder was mayor of Brady from 1946 to 1952 and |
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Texas land commissioner from 1955 to 1958, playing a leading role in |
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the reform of the Veterans Land Program; he became vice president of |
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Texas A&M University in 1958 and president of the school the |
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following year; from 1965 until his death in 1970, he was president |
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of the entire Texas A&M system, and he was instrumental in the |
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transformation of the university from a small land grant college to |
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a major research institution; and |
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WHEREAS, A leader in peace and war, James Earl Rudder lived a |
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remarkable life dedicated to the service of his state and his |
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nation, and the new statue in Brady is a fitting tribute to the |
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legacy of this legendary Texan; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the dedication of the statue of |
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James Earl Rudder in Brady and extend to all those involved in |
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bringing this project to fruition and to all those in attendance |
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sincere best wishes for a memorable event. |