Page 1 of 2
Regular Session, 2010 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 34
BY SENATORS MARIONNEAUX, ADLEY, ALARIO, AMEDEE, APPEL, BROOME,
CHABERT, CHAISSON, CHEEK, CLAITOR, CROWE, DONAHUE,
DORSEY, DUPLESSIS, ERDEY, B. GAUTREAUX, N. GAUTREAUX,
GUILLORY, HEBERT, HEITMEIER, JACKSON, KOSTELKA,
LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY, MCPHERSON, MICHOT, MORRELL,
MORRISH, MOUNT, MURRAY, NEVERS, PETERSON, QUINN,
RISER, SHAW, SMITH, THOMPSON AND WALSWORTH
A RESOLUTION
To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana to the
family of Mississippi Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Severin West
Summers, III upon his death in combat in Operation Enduring Freedom.
WHEREAS, Severin Summers, III, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, was a 1984
graduate of Christian Life Academy after which, he attended Louisiana State University,
where he received a Bachelor of Science degree; and
WHEREAS, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1989, where he distinguished
himself using his great leadership abilities, and in 2002, he earned the coveted "Green Beret"
when he successfully completed the Special Forces Qualification Course; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Summers later joined C Company 2
nd
Battalion,
20
th
Special Forces Group (Airborne) of the Mississippi National Guard, but he continued
to hone his warrior skills by successfully graduating from the tough, elite, Army Ranger
School; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Summers, already a recipient of the Army's
Parachutist Badge, would continue throughout his twenty-year military career to train and
acquire special skills in combat areas such as the Special Operations Combat Diver Course,
Military Free Fall Parachutist Course, Long Range Surveillance Leaders Course, Air Assault
Course, the difficult Army Pathfinder Course, the Canadian Parachutist Course and also
earning the German Bronze Parachutist Badge; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Summers was stationed at many military hot spots
around the world such as Kosovo, Panama, Guatemala and a tour of duty in Afghanistan in SR NO. 34 ENROLLED
Page 2 of 2
2006; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Summers left the relative safety of a recruiter's job
at home in Bentonia, Mississippi, when he volunteered for another tour in Afghanistan,
leaving behind his loving wife, Tammy, and daughters Jessica, Shelby and Sarah, and
arriving in theater on July 2, 2009; and
WHEREAS, at the time, Sergeant First Class Summers was one of three brothers in
his family serving in war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq, while another brother prepared for
combat at Fort Polk, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Severin Summers, III, was forty-three years old
when he received orders to conduct patrols in the Qole Gerdsar area on August 2, 2009, and
search for enemy forces operating there; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant First Class Summers and two other Green Berets from his unit
were engaged by armed enemy combatants that day using a command controlled improvised
explosive device which struck their vehicle and mortally wounded all three special forces
soldiers; and
WHEREAS, his awards included the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation
Medal, Purple Heart, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement
Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Armed
Forces Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Noncommissioned Officers Professional
Development Ribbon and the highly respected Combat Infantryman Badge.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby extend its deepest and most profound condolences to the family of Sergeant
First Class Severin West Summers, III, for their enormous loss and for his long, faithful and
courageous service to his country.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
family of Mississippi National Guardsman Sergeant First Class Severin West Summers, III.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE