82R25209 JNC-D
By: Nash H.R. No. 1756
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Words cannot adequately express the sorrow felt at
the loss of U.S. Marine Staff Sergeant Jeremy D. Smith of Arlington,
who died in Afghanistan on April 6, 2011, at the age of 26; and
WHEREAS, Assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment,
4th Marine Division, Staff Sergeant Smith was killed while bravely
serving his country in Helmand Province; and
WHEREAS, Born on March 9, 1985, to Jerry and Sandra Smith,
Jeremy Smith grew up in Arlington, where he was a member of the
football team at Martin High School; after graduating in 2003, he
joined the Marine Corps, later extending his enlistment to complete
his third tour of duty in Iraq; his plans for the future included
training fellow Marines as a member of the Texas Marine Reserves;
and
WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Smith was recognized for his skill
and dedication to duty, earning two Navy Achievement Medals, the
Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Ribbon; in all of his endeavors,
he was blessed with the support of his wife, Rachel, whom he married
on May 2, 2009, at a ceremony held at the home of his mother; and
WHEREAS, Our state and nation are fortunate to have men and
women whose loyalty inspires them to serve our country, yet the
tragic death of this brave man is a sobering reminder of the cost of
war; Staff Sergeant Jeremy Smith embodied the highest ideals of the
U.S. armed forces, and those who knew and loved him will forever
carry him close in their hearts; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of U.S. Marine Staff
Sergeant Jeremy D. Smith and extend deepest sympathy to the members
of his family: to his wife, Rachel Whipp Smith; to his mother,
Sandra Smith; to his father, Jerry Smith; to his sister, Shayda
Heath, and her husband, Nathan; to his brother, Tyler Smith; to his
niece, Lilly; to his nephew, Greyson; to his grandmothers,
Elizabeth Smith and Vereana Allen; 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. Marine
Staff Sergeant Jeremy D. Smith.