| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 2299 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The family and friends of U.S. Army Corporal Mathew |
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| 6 | 6 | | LaForest of Austin suffered an immeasurable loss with the death of |
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| 7 | 7 | | this courageous young man on May 25, 2007, at the age of 21; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Corporal LaForest was killed in combat in Taji, |
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| 9 | 9 | | Iraq, while bravely serving his nation as a member of the 4th |
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| 10 | 10 | | Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, |
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| 11 | 11 | | 2nd Infantry Division, based at Fort Lewis, Washington; and |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, Born on February 7, 1986, at Clark Air Force Base in |
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| 13 | 13 | | the Philippines, Mathew LaForest was the son of Mark LaForest and |
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| 14 | 14 | | Deborah Turner; a 2004 graduate of Bowie High School in Austin, he |
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| 15 | 15 | | was a member of the Bowie Band and the Junior Reserve Officers' |
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| 16 | 16 | | Training Corps, and he played soccer with the Austin United Soccer |
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| 17 | 17 | | Club; his military service began shortly after he finished high |
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| 18 | 18 | | school when he enlisted in the U.S. Army; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Corporal LaForest was known for his quiet, easygoing |
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| 20 | 20 | | personality and his willingness to help anyone who needed a hand; he |
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| 21 | 21 | | enjoyed racing his car and spending time with friends, and his quick |
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| 22 | 22 | | and endearing smile was treasured by all who knew him; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Through his unwavering dedication to duty, honor, |
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| 24 | 24 | | and this country, Corporal LaForest embodied the highest ideals of |
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| 25 | 25 | | the United States armed services, and his fellow citizens owe him a |
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| 26 | 26 | | debt of remembrance that the passage of time can never diminish; |
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| 27 | 27 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 28 | 28 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 29 | 29 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Army Corporal |
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| 30 | 30 | | Mathew LaForest and extend deepest condolences to the members of |
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| 31 | 31 | | his family: to his father, Mark LaForest, and his wife, Suzette; to |
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| 32 | 32 | | his mother, Deborah Baughn, and her husband, Dana; to his sister, |
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| 33 | 33 | | Jessica LaForest; to his brothers, Devon Mitchell and Brandon |
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| 34 | 34 | | Baughn; to his grandparents, Judy LaForest and Donald and Sandra |
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| 35 | 35 | | Turner; to his uncles, Bill and Mike LaForest; to his aunts, Lonnee |
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| 36 | 36 | | Rorison and her husband, Steve, and Tammy Lacy and her husband, |
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| 37 | 37 | | Mike; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it |
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| 38 | 38 | | further |
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| 39 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 40 | 40 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 41 | 41 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of U.S. Army |
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| 42 | 42 | | Corporal Mathew LaForest. |
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| 43 | 43 | | Corte |
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| 44 | 44 | | ______________________________ |
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| 45 | 45 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 46 | 46 | | I certify that H.R. No. 2299 was unanimously adopted by a |
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| 47 | 47 | | rising vote of the House on May 21, 2009. |
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| 48 | 48 | | ______________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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