Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HR1427 Compare Versions

The same version is selected twice. Please select two different versions to compare.

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 1427
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, The Rio Grande Valley has given legions of
6	6	courageous men and women to the United States armed forces, and one
7	7	of the most heroic was Pedro Cano, of Hidalgo County; and
8	8	WHEREAS, Born to Nicholasa Gonzalez Cano and Secundino Cano
9	9	on July 7, 1920, in Nuevo Leon in Mexico, Mr. Cano moved with his
10	10	family to Texas when he was just two months old; with the exception
11	11	of the time he spent in the U.S. Army, he lived the rest of his life
12	12	on the Texas side of the Rio Grande, where he worked as an
13	13	agricultural laborer and farmer; and
14	14	WHEREAS, When he was called up by the army during World War
15	15	II, Mr. Cano, a slight man with limited knowledge of English, had
16	16	little wish to leave the Valley; he reported for duty nevertheless
17	17	and subsequently deployed to the European theater; in the fall of
18	18	1944 he was with the 4th Infantry Division when that force, after
19	19	helping to liberate Paris, launched an attack on the Siegfried
20	20	Line; and
21	21	WHEREAS, In the course of that push against German defenses,
22	22	Private Cano fought in the months-long battle of Hurtgen Forest,
23	23	and it was during that struggle that he etched his name in the
24	24	annals of military valor; he was advancing with his company near
25	25	Schevenhutte, Germany, in December 1944 when the unit came under
26	26	withering fire from German machine guns; with his comrades pinned
27	27	down, Private Cano worked his way forward alone, through a hail of
28	28	fire and over more than 100 yards of heavily mined terrain, until he
29	29	was within 30 feet of the nearest German emplacement; firing one
30	30	round with his hand-held rocket launcher, he destroyed the position
31	31	and killed its two gunners and five supporting riflemen; he then
32	32	moved on toward a second emplacement, which he attacked with his
33	33	rifle and hand grenades, killing several more soldiers; and
34	34	WHEREAS, With another American company nearby similarly
35	35	immobilized, Private Cano crept to within 15 yards of a third
36	36	emplacement, killed its two gunners with a rocket, and then
37	37	destroyed yet another emplacement and killed its gunners, enabling
38	38	that company to also advance; and
39	39	WHEREAS, The next day, the Americans once more encountered
40	40	heavy German resistance, and Private Cano again moved forward alone
41	41	with his bazooka; crossing open, fire-swept ground, he succeeded in
42	42	suppressing three more machine-gun positions and killing their
43	43	gunners, bringing to nearly 30 the number of German soldiers he
44	44	killed during that two-day period; and
45	45	WHEREAS, Sometime later, while on patrol, Private Cano and
46	46	his platoon were surprised by German soldiers, who inflicted heavy
47	47	casualties; Private Cano lay motionless on the ground until the
48	48	assailants closed in, then tossed a grenade into their midst,
49	49	wounding or killing all of them; and
50	50	WHEREAS, It was in this engagement, or shortly thereafter,
51	51	that Pedro Cano sustained injuries that left him permanently
52	52	disabled; in addition to a Purple Heart, he was awarded two Silver
53	53	Stars and a Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's
54	54	second-highest award for gallantry; of the more than 16,100,000
55	55	individuals who served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II,
56	56	only 5,059 were recognized with the DSC; and
57	57	WHEREAS, Mr. Cano's most illustrious medal arrived by mail at
58	58	his home near Edinburg, and the unassuming veteran put it away in a
59	59	closet; area citizens, however, learned of the award and were
60	60	indignant at the military's seeming lack of respect; they secured
61	61	the cooperation of the U.S. War Department in planning a public
62	62	celebration, much to Mr. Cano's consternation, and April 26, 1946,
63	63	was designated Pedro Cano Day; and
64	64	WHEREAS, Edinburg schools and most businesses closed for the
65	65	occasion and some 4,000 local residents turned out to witness a
66	66	parade, followed by a ceremony at the courthouse square; there,
67	67	General Jonathan M. Wainwright, commander of the 4th Army,
68	68	presented the DSC to Mr. Cano in the presence of Rear Admiral Joseph
69	69	James Clark of the U.S. Navy, General J. Trinidad Rodriguez and
70	70	Colonel J. Tiburcio Garza Zamorra of the Mexican Army, Texas State
71	71	Senator Rogers Kelley, Valley military heroes William G. Harrell,
72	72	Luis N. Gonzalez, and Jose M. Lopez, U.S. and Mexican consular
73	73	officials, Mr. Cano's wife and mother, and a throng of
74	74	well-wishers; in his remarks, General Wainwright declared that he
75	75	believed Pedro Cano actually deserved the highest recognition of
76	76	all, the medal of honor; and
77	77	WHEREAS, The day's festivities also included a barbecue
78	78	funded by public subscription, a luncheon and reception for Mr.
79	79	Cano and special guests, and a dinner and dance hosted by the
80	80	Edinburg Civic Association; in addition, the state commander of the
81	81	American Legion conferred on Mr. Cano a life membership in that
82	82	organization; and
83	83	WHEREAS, In May 1946, Mr. Cano realized a longtime aspiration
84	84	when he received his American citizenship; though disabled, he also
85	85	longed to take up farming again, and the state stepped in to provide
86	86	him with 40 acres, a house, a truck, and farm equipment; and
87	87	WHEREAS, Pedro Cano died on June 24, 1952, as a result of a
88	88	traffic accident; survived by his wife, Herminia Garza Cano, his
89	89	daughters, Dominga and Maria, and his son, Susano, the 31-year-old
90	90	veteran was buried with military honors in Edinburg, where today a
91	91	street and an elementary school both bear his name; and
92	92	WHEREAS, The heroism exhibited by Pedro Cano is a testament
93	93	to the extraordinary capacity of the human spirit for selfless
94	94	action in the face of near-certain death, and his fellow citizens
95	95	owe this quiet Texan a lasting debt of gratitude and remembrance;
96	96	and
97	97	WHEREAS, Representative Aaron Pea has justly recognized
98	98	Pedro Cano by authoring this resolution in his behalf during the
99	99	regular session of the 81st Texas Legislature; now, therefore, be
100	100	it
101	101	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
102	102	Legislature hereby commemorate the courageous service of Pedro Cano
103	103	and recognize April 26, 2009, as Pedro Cano Day in Edinburg; and, be
104	104	it further
105	105	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
106	106	prepared for Mr. Cano's family as an expression of high regard by
107	107	the Texas House of Representatives.
108	108	Pea
109	109	Gonzales
110	110	Guillen
111	111	Lucio III
112	112	Rios Ybarra
113	113	______________________________
114	114	Speaker of the House
115	115	I certify that H.R. No. 1427 was adopted by the House on April
116	116	21, 2009, by a non-record vote.
117	117	______________________________
118	118	Chief Clerk of the House