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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, U.S. Army Sergeant (Ret.) Santiago Jesse Erevia |
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| 6 | 7 | | distinguished himself through his heroic action in Vietnam on May |
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| 7 | 8 | | 21, 1969, and for his exceptional valor that day, he has been |
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| 8 | 9 | | awarded the Medal of Honor; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, A native of Nordheim, Santiago Erevia was born in |
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| 10 | 11 | | 1946 and came of age during the Vietnam War; he enlisted in the army |
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| 11 | 12 | | at the age of 22 and served in that conflict as a radio-telephone |
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| 12 | 13 | | operator with the 101st Airborne Division; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, During a search-and-clear mission near Tam Ky, |
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| 14 | 15 | | Vietnam, the platoon leader assigned then-Specialist Four Erevia |
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| 15 | 16 | | the task of staying behind to administer first aid to a number of |
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| 16 | 17 | | injured soldiers while the rest of the unit continued on; as |
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| 17 | 18 | | Specialist Erevia did so, he came under hostile fire from four |
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| 18 | 19 | | bunkers to his left front; rather than take cover, this courageous |
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| 19 | 20 | | Texan crawled in full view of his attackers to gather ammunition |
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| 20 | 21 | | from his wounded compatriots; he then charged directly at the |
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| 21 | 22 | | bunkers and dispatched the enemy combatants, saving the lives of |
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| 22 | 23 | | the men in his care; his valiant actions in the face of overwhelming |
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| 23 | 24 | | odds was a source of inspiration for his entire company and |
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| 24 | 25 | | contributed greatly to the completion of their mission; and |
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| 25 | 26 | | WHEREAS, In addition to receiving the Medal of Honor on March |
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| 26 | 27 | | 18, 2014, Sergeant Erevia has been recognized with the Bronze Star |
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| 27 | 28 | | Medal, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, the Army Commendation |
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| 28 | 29 | | Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Vietnam Service |
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| 29 | 30 | | Medal with five bronze service stars; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Sergeant Erevia left active duty in 1970 but went on |
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| 31 | 32 | | to serve another 17 years as a member of the Texas National Guard; |
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| 32 | 33 | | now a retired postal service worker, he lives with his wife in San |
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| 33 | 34 | | Antonio and is the father of four grown children; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Through his unhesitating selflessness and his |
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| 35 | 36 | | unfaltering devotion to duty, honor, and his country, Sergeant |
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| 36 | 37 | | Santiago Erevia has embodied the highest ideals of the U.S. armed |
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| 37 | 38 | | forces, and he is deserving of the deep and lasting gratitude of |
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| 38 | 39 | | every American; now, therefore, be it |
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| 39 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 40 | 41 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Sergeant Santiago Jesse Erevia on |
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| 41 | 42 | | his receipt of the Medal of Honor and extend to him sincere best |
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| 42 | 43 | | wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 44 | 45 | | prepared for Sergeant Erevia as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 45 | 46 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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