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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Eugene Gutierrez Jr. of McAllen was presented with |
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| 6 | 7 | | the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the nation's highest civilian |
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| 7 | 8 | | awards, at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on February 3, 2015; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Gene Gutierrez answered his nation's call to duty by |
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| 9 | 10 | | enlisting in the United States Army in 1941, and the following year, |
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| 10 | 11 | | he volunteered as a paratrooper in the First Special Service Force; |
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| 11 | 12 | | commonly known as the "Devil's Brigade," this 1,800-member unit was |
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| 12 | 13 | | composed of elite American and Canadian soldiers who specialized in |
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| 13 | 14 | | hand-to-hand combat and mountain warfare; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, The covert military outfit played a crucial role at |
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| 15 | 16 | | the height of World War II and proved especially effective at |
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| 16 | 17 | | combating Axis forces during fighting in Italy; Mr. Gutierrez was |
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| 17 | 18 | | among the members of the unit who took part in operations against |
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| 18 | 19 | | the Germans near Anzio and helped liberate Rome from fascist |
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| 19 | 20 | | control in June 1944; before being disbanded at the end of that |
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| 20 | 21 | | year, the brigade was responsible for capturing more than 30,000 |
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| 21 | 22 | | prisoners, and its legacy was later recognized with five U.S. |
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| 22 | 23 | | campaign stars and eight Canadian battle honors; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, After returning to civilian life, Mr. Gutierrez |
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| 24 | 25 | | graduated with two degrees from Oklahoma State University, and in |
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| 25 | 26 | | 1950 he settled in McAllen; there, he enjoyed a fulfilling career in |
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| 26 | 27 | | education with the McAllen Independent School District, becoming |
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| 27 | 28 | | the city's first Hispanic principal and later serving as |
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| 28 | 29 | | superintendent; he retired as principal of Lincoln Middle School in |
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| 29 | 30 | | 1980; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Today, Mr. Gutierrez continues to be an active |
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| 31 | 32 | | member of his community through his efforts as a parishioner at Our |
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| 32 | 33 | | Lady of Sorrows Church and as a member of the Serra Club; in all of |
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| 33 | 34 | | his endeavors, this esteemed Texan is blessed with the love and |
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| 34 | 35 | | support of his wife of 62 years, Penny, and he takes great pride in |
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| 35 | 36 | | his three children and four grandchildren; in addition to receiving |
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| 36 | 37 | | the Congressional Gold Medal, he was honored for his military |
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| 37 | 38 | | service with the Bronze Star Medal in 2008; and |
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| 38 | 39 | | WHEREAS, Gene Gutierrez served his country bravely and |
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| 39 | 40 | | loyally during a crucial moment in its history, contributing to the |
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| 40 | 41 | | ultimate Allied victory in World War II, and he is truly deserving |
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| 41 | 42 | | of this prestigious Congressional commendation; now, therefore, be |
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| 42 | 43 | | it |
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| 43 | 44 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 44 | 45 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Eugene Gutierrez Jr. on his receipt |
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| 45 | 46 | | of the Congressional Gold Medal and extend to him profound |
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| 46 | 47 | | gratitude for his extraordinary valor and sacrifice; and, be it |
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| 47 | 48 | | further |
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| 48 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 49 | 50 | | prepared for Mr. Gutierrez as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 50 | 51 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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