H.R. No. 2457
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The family and friends of U.S. Army Sergeant Bacilio
E. Cuellar of Odessa suffered a great loss with his untimely passing
on May 30, 2007, at the age of 24, while on duty in Iraq; and
WHEREAS, When "Bozzy" Cuellar was born on June 23, 1982, in
Odessa, he weighed 10 pounds, 5 ounces, and measured 23 inches in
length; the first thing his dad asked the doctor was, "Is he going
to walk out of here with me?"; the strapping young fellow was named
after his paternal great-grandfathers; and
WHEREAS, It was apparent to his family very early on that this
was an unusually intelligent child; at the age of four years old, he
surprised many people by carrying on normal conversations with
adults; and
WHEREAS, Soft-spoken yet outgoing, Bozzy Cuellar never met a
stranger, and everyone in school knew him; he was a cooperative team
player and a respectful and considerate young man by nature who
always thought about the needs and comfort of others; he was also a
very loving person, one who was always there for family and friends;
and
WHEREAS, The teen was tough, however, when he needed to be; he
was not afraid to stand up to bullies and would bravely defend
others, a trait his future fellow soldiers would quickly discover;
and
WHEREAS, Friends and teachers from high school, though,
remember him especially as a talented musician; he loved to play the
drums and delighted listeners with his proficiency as a member of
the Permian High School drum line and in the years that followed;
and
WHEREAS, Bozzy Cuellar joined the army in July 2001 and
attended boot camp in Georgia; while there, he was able to lose more
than 50 pounds in just three short months; as with all young
soldiers, he had a love/hate relationship with basic training; and
WHEREAS, It was not long after completing boot camp that
Bozzy Cuellar met the love of his life, Nicki; the moment they met
on New Year's Eve 2002, it was love at first sight; and
WHEREAS, This courageous young Texan deployed several times
in service to his country; his first tours of duty abroad took him
to Kosovo, where he was stationed from May 2002 to November 2002,
and Bosnia, where he arrived in October 2003; in February 2004, he
deployed with his unit, the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment,
in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and he served in Tikrit,
Iraq, until February 2005; and
WHEREAS, Sergeant Cuellar left for his fourth and final tour
on September 1, 2006, when he and the 1-18 Infantry shipped out
again, this time to fight in Baghdad; during that tour he enjoyed a
short period of leave with his family, and then he returned to Iraq
on April 2, 2007; Bozzy Cuellar died on May 30, 2007, in Baghdad,
and he was buried with full military honors at Fort Sam Houston
National Cemetery, in San Antonio, on June 15, 2007; and
WHEREAS, Bozzy and Nicki Cuellar were happy together until
his very last day; he was a wonderful husband and a devoted father
who had boundless love for his three sons; his wife has always said
that she could not have asked for a better husband and father for
their children; and
WHEREAS, The day that Bozzy Cuellar joined the army was a
proud moment for his family; he loved his job and performed his
difficult missions with exemplary dedication and professionalism;
between enlisting in the army, meeting Nicki, and receiving his
family's constant encouragement, Bozzy Cuellar accomplished a
180-degree turn from an earlier period in his life when he sought
direction; by the time of his passing, he had grown to be a man who
continually worked to better himself and who inspired those around
him to do the same; Sergeant Cuellar was indeed an individual who
marched to the beat of his own drum; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Army Sergeant
Bacilio E. "Bozzy" Cuellar and extend sincere condolences to the
members of his family: to his wife, Nicole Cuellar; to his sons,
Sebastian Cole Cuellar, Jeremy Shane Cuellar, and Cayden Xavion
Cuellar; to his mother, Lori Ann Cuellar; to his father, Rafael
Cuellar, Jr.; to his sister, Shauna Denee' Cuellar; and to his other
relatives and many friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of U.S. Army
Sergeant Bacilio E. Cuellar.
Lewis
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 2457 was unanimously adopted by a
rising vote of the House on May 24, 2009.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House