| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 732 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Leon Abrusley served his country bravely during |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | World War II as a seaman first class in the United States Navy; and |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Abrusley was born into a family of Syrian |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | immigrants in Oakdale, Louisiana, on August 12, 1924; on December |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | 23, 1941, 16 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he answered his |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | nation's call to duty and enlisted in the navy, at the age of 17; and |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | WHEREAS, Seaman Abrusley was assigned to a destroyer in the |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Pacific theater, the USS Henley; during an engagement off the coast |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | of New Guinea on October 3, 1943, the Henley was sunk by Japanese |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | torpedoes; Seaman Abrusley was one of only 243 survivors who made it |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | into the life rafts; and |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Adrift in the sea in the pouring rain, Seaman |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Abrusley thought of the oil derricks he'd seen while passing |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | through Kilgore, Texas, and promised himself he'd survive to return |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | there and work in the oil fields; eventually he was rescued by |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | another U.S. destroyer, the USS Reid; and |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, After recovering from his ordeal, Seaman Abrusley |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | joined the crew of the USS Pritchett on January 15, 1944, and |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | remained with that ship until the end of the war; during his service |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | with the Pritchett, he saw duty in the waters off Saipan, Guam, the |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa; the Pritchett sustained several |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | kamikaze hits by Japanese planes over the course of that period, |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | and in July 1945, it rescued crew members of the USS Callaghan, |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | after that ship was sunk; and |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Following his discharge from the service, Mr. |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | Abrusley earned a degree in petroleum engineering from Louisiana |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | State University, which led to a successful 30-year career with |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | Skelly Oil in Carthage, Texas, not far from Kilgore; he later |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | retired with his family to Houston; and |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Leon Abrusley is a distinguished member of that |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | proud generation of brave Americans who stepped forward to defend |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | their country during one of its darkest hours, and his courage and |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | perseverance in the face of great danger have earned him the lasting |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | gratitude of his fellow citizens; now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | Legislature hereby commend Leon Abrusley for his service to the |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | nation during World War II and extend to him sincere best wishes for |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | continued success and happiness; and, be it further |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | prepared for Mr. Abrusley as an expression of high regard by the |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | Bohac |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | I certify that H.R. No. 732 was adopted by the House on March |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 19, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|