87S20575 CJM-D
 
  By: Murr H.R. No. 27
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Vernon Ollar of Kerr County celebrated his 100th
  birthday on July 26, 2021, providing a fitting opportunity to
  recognize this esteemed member of the Greatest Generation for his
  service during World War II; and
         WHEREAS, Born in Moline, Illinois, in 1921, Vern Ollar grew
  up in neighboring Rock Island; he worked at an ordnance plant before
  joining the United States Army in December 1942; after basic
  training with the Chemical Warfare Service at Camp Sibert in
  Alabama, he was stationed at Camp Polk in Louisiana, with the 81st
  Chemical Mortar Battalion, and then went on mountain maneuvers at
  Camp Pickens in Virginia; he was deployed to England aboard the
  Capetown Castle, a converted British ocean liner, and following an
  arduous journey, he trained for months in the frigid English
  Channel in preparation for D-Day; and
         WHEREAS, Mr. Ollar landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944,
  with the 116th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, in the first wave
  of the attack; as a mortarman, he had to enter deep, icy water to
  drag the weapons ashore while dodging enemy fire and anti-tank
  mines; he was the gunner for his squad, which quickly took out a
  machine gun nest; after securing the bluff tops, the division
  advanced, and Mr. Ollar and his comrades had to seek food and
  shelter at abandoned farmsteads; he took part in the bitter
  fighting through hedgerows and proceeded across France and Belgium
  to Germany; for his valor at Dillingen, he received a bronze star;
  toward the end of the war, he was also involved in the development
  of radar technology to detect the origin of incoming artillery
  rounds; and
         WHEREAS, Over the course of a century, Vern Ollar has not only
  bravely served his nation, but has also met the challenges and
  opportunities of a long life with fortitude, earning the lasting
  respect and admiration of all who are fortunate enough to know him;
  now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
  Legislature, 2nd Called Session, hereby congratulate Vernon Ollar
  on the occasion of his 100th birthday and honor him for his
  patriotic service during World War II; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Mr. Ollar as an expression of high regard by the Texas
  House of Representatives.