| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 2303 |
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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 Second |
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| 6 | 6 | | Lieutenant Peter H. Burks of Dallas sustained a heavy loss with the |
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| 7 | 7 | | death of this courageous soldier in Iraq on November 14, 2007, at |
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| 8 | 8 | | the age of 26; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Lieutenant Burks was killed by an improvised |
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| 10 | 10 | | explosive device in Baghdad while serving as a member of the 4th |
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| 11 | 11 | | Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which is based in Vilseck, |
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| 12 | 12 | | Germany; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, Born on April 10, 1981, in Atlanta, Georgia, Pete |
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| 14 | 14 | | Burks was the son of Jackie Merck and Alan Burks; he developed his |
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| 15 | 15 | | strong spiritual faith early in his life and graduated from Trinity |
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| 16 | 16 | | Christian Academy in 1999; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, After beginning his college studies at the |
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| 18 | 18 | | University of Georgia, he transferred to Texas A&M University, |
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| 19 | 19 | | where he became a member of Pi Kappa Phi and served as a |
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| 20 | 20 | | sportswriter for the Battalion; he graduated with a bachelor's |
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| 21 | 21 | | degree in international studies and then held jobs as a tour guide |
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| 22 | 22 | | in Nice, France, and as an employee of the Dallas Cowboys, the |
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| 23 | 23 | | Dallas Desperados, and FC Dallas; in addition, he was very active in |
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| 24 | 24 | | the Young Life youth ministry organization; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | WHEREAS, This dedicated young man answered his nation's call |
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| 26 | 26 | | to duty in April 2006 and enlisted in the U.S. Army; he |
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| 27 | 27 | | distinguished himself in his training courses and developed into an |
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| 28 | 28 | | officer of great integrity and courage; given the role of a troop |
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| 29 | 29 | | leader in the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, he soon won the lasting |
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| 30 | 30 | | respect and admiration of his fellow soldiers; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Inspired by a love of country and a desire to serve a |
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| 32 | 32 | | higher calling, Pete Burks embodied the highest ideals of the armed |
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| 33 | 33 | | services, and those who shared in his love and friendship will |
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| 34 | 34 | | forever treasure their memories of him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 35 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 36 | 36 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Army Second |
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| 37 | 37 | | Lieutenant Peter H. Burks and extend deepest condolences to the |
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| 38 | 38 | | members of his family: to his mother, Jackie Merck; to his father, |
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| 39 | 39 | | Alan Burks; to his sisters, Ali, Sarah, and Georgia Burks; to his |
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| 40 | 40 | | brother, Zac Burks; to his fiancee, Melissa Haddad; to his |
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| 41 | 41 | | grandmother, Irene Merck; to his grandfather, Haskell Burks; to his |
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| 42 | 42 | | nephews, Oliver and Liam Denson; to his aunts and uncles, Brenda and |
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| 43 | 43 | | Jim Brooks, Laurie and Ivan Killen, Carlton and Bonnie Hays, Mike |
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| 44 | 44 | | and Susan Burks, and Tim Merck; and to his other relatives and many |
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| 45 | 45 | | friends; and, be it further |
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| 46 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 47 | 47 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 48 | 48 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Second |
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| 49 | 49 | | Lieutenant Peter Burks. |
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| 50 | 50 | | Madden |
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| 51 | 51 | | ______________________________ |
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| 52 | 52 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 53 | 53 | | I certify that H.R. No. 2303 was unanimously adopted by a |
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| 54 | 54 | | rising vote of the House on May 21, 2009. |
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| 55 | 55 | | ______________________________ |
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| 56 | 56 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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