H.C.R. No. 85
 
 
 
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 
         WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established
  to recognize gallant and intrepid service by a member of the state
  or federal military forces, and U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Chris
  Kyle, the most successful sniper in U.S. military history, proved
  himself a deserving recipient of this prestigious award; and
         WHEREAS, Born in Odessa on April 8, 1974, Christopher Scott
  Kyle learned patience and marksmanship at an early age; his father
  bought him a rifle when he was eight, and he hunted on the family
  ranch for pheasant and deer; after high school, he worked as a ranch
  hand and a professional rodeo rider until he was injured; despite
  the pins in his arm from his rodeo injuries, he actively sought to
  serve his nation, and thanks to his grit and determination, he was
  accepted into the elite Navy SEALs unit in 1999; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Petty Officer Kyle served four tours of duty
  in Iraq as a member of SEAL Team 3, and he fought in every major
  battle of Operation Iraqi Freedom, including engagements in Ramadi,
  Fallujah, and Baghdad; working in hot, dirty, and dangerous
  conditions, Chief Kyle put himself in harm's way on a daily basis,
  setting up his sniper's post in abandoned buildings, sometimes for
  as long as five weeks at a time, watching tirelessly through his
  scope for enemy combatants and, through his efforts, saving
  countless American lives; and
         WHEREAS, Known by his peers as "the Legend" for his uncanny
  skill, Chief Kyle often successfully took long-range shots, and in
  Sadr City in 2008, after he spotted an insurgent approaching an army
  convoy with a rocket launcher, he shot the man from a distance of
  2,100 yards, or 1.2 miles; as feared by the enemy as he was
  celebrated by his fellow Americans, Chief Kyle was nicknamed
  Al-Shaitan Ramadi, or "The Devil of Ramadi," by the insurgents, who
  put an $80,000 price on his head; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Kyle regularly demonstrated conspicuous
  gallantry in the thick of combat; during the second battle for
  Fallujah in November 2004, two Marines and two journalists were
  trapped near a heavily fortified enemy position, and as the Marines
  around him provided covering fire, Chief Kyle dashed through enemy
  fire, joined the trapped men, and provided suppressing fire to
  enable them to escape; then, as he made his own escape, he
  discovered one of the Marines wounded in the road, and, with enemy
  rounds thudding all around him, he grabbed his wounded comrade by
  his body armor and dragged him 50 yards to safety; he then returned
  to the battle until the last enemy insurgent was killed; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Kyle's bravery that day earned him one of his
  five Bronze Stars with Valor, and he also received two Silver Stars
  along with many other decorations; he was shot twice and survived
  six IED explosions, and by the time he left the navy to return to his
  family in Texas in 2009, he was credited with the highest number of
  confirmed kills in U.S. military history; and
         WHEREAS, Chief Kyle continued to distinguish himself in
  civilian life, running a security training company and publishing a
  best-selling combat memoir, which inspired an award-winning motion
  picture; he worked with the FITCO Cares Foundation to provide
  support to disabled veterans, and, tragically, he died while trying
  to help another veteran; such was the respect and admiration he had
  earned from his fellow Texans that his funeral procession from
  Midlothian to Austin stretched for more than 200 miles, one of the
  longest memorial processions in American history; and
         WHEREAS, Chris Kyle repeatedly risked his life to save the
  lives of his fellow soldiers and to advance their mission, and for
  his remarkable heroism he is most assuredly deserving of this
  state's supreme military award; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby direct the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously
  award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Christopher Scott
  Kyle in recognition of his valiant service during Operation Iraqi
  Freedom.
 
 
Wray Geren
 
Flynn Blanco
 
Miller of Fort Bend Crownover
 
Kacal Minjarez
 
Paul Price
 
Shaheen Spitzer
 
Thompson of Brazoria White of Tyler
 
Zerwas
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.C.R. No. 85 was adopted by the House on May
  12, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.C.R. No. 85 was adopted by the Senate on May
  26, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor