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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Words cannot adequately express the sorrow felt at |
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the loss of U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Jose Luis Saenz III of |
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Pleasanton, who died in Afghanistan on August 9, 2010, at the age of |
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30; and |
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WHEREAS, Assigned to 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st |
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Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp |
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Pendleton, California, Sergeant Saenz was killed in Helmand |
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Province by an explosive device while on patrol; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in San Antonio in 1980 to Leonor Mata Saenz and |
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Jose Luis Saenz, Jr., Joey Saenz grew up in Pleasanton, where he was |
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a member of the varsity football team and the band at Pleasanton |
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High School; after graduating in 1999, he worked as a mechanic at |
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Walmart, where he met his future wife, Christy; he was a member of |
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St. Matthew's Catholic Church in Jourdanton; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Saenz joined the Marine Corps in 2003 and |
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received his basic training in San Diego; after completing |
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automotive mechanics training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, he |
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was stationed with the 9th Engineer Support Battalion in Okinawa, |
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Japan; in 2005, he was assigned to Marine Corps Combat Service |
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Support Schools at Camp Johnson, North Carolina, where he worked as |
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a motor transport mechanic and performed HAZMAT duties and funeral |
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details; he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment |
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in 2007; and |
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WHEREAS, The following year, he deployed with India Battery |
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and participated in various exercises in the Persian Gulf with the |
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15th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard USS Peleliu; he deployed to |
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Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in May 2010, |
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and at the time of his death he was conducting daily operations as a |
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squad leader; and |
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WHEREAS, In recognition of his sacrifice, Sergeant Saenz was |
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posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps |
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Commendation Medal with the Combat Distinguishing Device; he had |
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also earned the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two |
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gold stars, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Marine Corps Good Conduct |
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Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign |
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Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global |
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War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Sea Service Deployment |
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Ribbon; moreover, the members of his regiment in Afghanistan named |
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their artillery position Firebase Saenz in his honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Our state and nation are fortunate to have men and |
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women whose love of country inspires them to serve, yet the tragic |
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death of this brave man is a sobering reminder of the cost of war; |
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Sergeant Jose Saenz embodied the highest ideals of the U.S. armed |
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forces, and those who knew him and loved him will forever carry him |
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close in their hearts; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Jose |
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Luis Saenz III and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his |
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family: to his wife, Christy Heritage-Saenz; to his son, Jose Luis |
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Saenz IV; to his parents, Leonor Mata Saenz and Jose Luis Saenz, |
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Jr.; to his sisters, Bettina Saenz-Salas and her husband, Alex, |
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Melissa Saenz and Shad Crow, and Patricia Saenz and Luis Ramos III; |
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to his grandparents, Jose Luis Saenz, Sr., Evangelina Saenz, and |
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Celia P. Mata; to his nieces and nephews, Brianna Salas, Ignacio |
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Salas, Luis Ramos IV, and Leigh Ramos; to his in-laws, Paula |
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Heritage, Elogio Heritage, Lisa McLin and her husband, Matthew, |
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Sandra Callejas and her husband, Jeffrey, and Elogio Heritage, Jr., |
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and his wife, Ruby; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be |
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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 and Senate adjourn this day, they do so in memory of |
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Jose Luis Saenz III. |
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Aliseda |
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Sheets |
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Taylor of Collin |
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Garza |
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Straus |
Gonzales of Williamson |
Morrison |
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Aliseda |
Gonzalez |
Munoz, Jr. |
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Anderson of Dallas |
Hancock |
Orr |
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Anderson of McLennan |
Hardcastle |
Otto |
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Beck |
Harper-Brown |
Patrick |
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Bohac |
Hernandez Luna |
Pena |
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Burkett |
Howard of Fort Bend |
Pitts |
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Burnam |
Howard of Travis |
Price |
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Button |
Huberty |
Quintanilla |
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Callegari |
Hunter |
Reynolds |
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Christian |
Keffer |
Schwertner |
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Coleman |
King of Parker |
Scott |
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Cook |
King of Taylor |
Sheets |
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Craddick |
King of Zavala |
Sheffield |
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Creighton |
Kleinschmidt |
Shelton |
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Crownover |
Kolkhorst |
Simpson |
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Darby |
Kuempel |
Smith of Harris |
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Davis of Dallas |
Landtroop |
Smith of Tarrant |
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J. Davis of Harris |
Larson |
Smithee |
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S. Davis of Harris |
Laubenberg |
Solomons |
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Driver |
Legler |
Taylor of Collin |
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Dukes |
Lewis |
Taylor of Galveston |
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Farias |
Mallory Caraway |
Veasey |
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Frullo |
Martinez Fischer |
Weber |
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Giddings |
Miller of Comal |
Zedler |
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Gonzales of Hidalgo |
Miller of Erath |
Zerwas |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 128 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the House on April 6, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.C.R. No. 128 was unanimously adopted by a |
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rising vote of the Senate on April 6, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |