Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SCR44 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Campbell, Zaffirini S.C.R. No. 44
2		-	(In the Senate - Filed May 7, 2015; May 7, 2015, read first
3		-	time and referred to Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military
4		-	Installations; May 15, 2015, reported favorably by the following
5		-	vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 15, 2015, sent to printer.)
6		-	Click here to see the committee vote
7	2
8	3
9	4		SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
10	5		WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established
11	6		to recognize gallant and intrepid service by a member of the state
12	7		or federal military forces, and Cleto L. Rodriguez proved himself a
13	8		deserving recipient of this prestigious award; and
14	9		WHEREAS, Born in San Marcos on April 26, 1923, Cleto
15	10		Rodriguez lost both his parents when he was nine, and he moved to
16	11		San Antonio to live with relatives; he joined the United States Army
17	12		in 1944, becoming a private in Company B of the 148th Infantry; and
18	13		WHEREAS, On February 9, 1945, during the battle for Manila in
19	14		the Philippines, Private Rodriguez and his unit were advancing on
20	15		the heavily defended Paco Railroad Station when they were pinned
21	16		down by intense enemy fire; at that point, Private Rodriguez and
22	17		Private First Class John Reese took the initiative to charge the
23	18		enemy position; the two men reached a house 60 yards from the
24	19		Japanese emplacements, and from that location, under the gaze of
25	20		enemy gunners, they killed 35 combatants; and
26	21		WHEREAS, On moving closer to their objective, the pair
27	22		spotted Japanese reinforcements moving toward the station;
28	23		Privates Rodriguez and Reese killed more than 40 of the group, which
29	24		discouraged further attempts to reinforce the Japanese defenses;
30	25		Private Reese then provided covering fire as Private Rodriguez ran
31	26		forward and lobbed five grenades into the station doorway,
32	27		destroying a 20mm gun and a heavy machine gun and eliminating their
33	28		crews; as the pair withdrew to their own lines, Private Reese was
34	29		mortally wounded; and
35	30		WHEREAS, The bold actions of Privates Rodriguez and Reese
36	31		threw Japanese defenses at the station into disarray and made
37	32		possible the subsequent seizure of the stronghold; two days later,
38	33		Private Rodriguez again enabled his comrades to move forward when
39	34		he singlehandedly killed six more enemy soldiers and took out
40	35		another 20mm gun; for having materially aided the advance of United
41	36		States troops in Manila, he was awarded the Medal of Honor; and
42	37		WHEREAS, Upon his return to San Antonio, Cleto Rodriguez was
43	38		presented with the key to the city; he worked as a representative
44	39		for the Veterans Administration and then served in the United
45	40		States Air Force from 1952 to 1954 and in the army from 1955 to 1970,
46	41		rising to the rank of master sergeant before his retirement; over
47	42		the years, he also served his community as a member of the League of
48	43		United Latin American Citizens; his boyhood elementary school was
49	44		renamed in his honor in 1975; and
50	45		WHEREAS, Married to Flora Muniz in November 1945, Cleto
51	46		Rodriguez became the proud father of four children; he passed away
52	47		on December 7, 1990, and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National
53	48		Cemetery; the following year, a section of United States Route 90 in
54	49		San Antonio was named after him; the city has two murals featuring
55	50		his likeness, at the Cassiano Homes housing project and at the San
56	51		Antonio Central Library; and
57	52		WHEREAS, Cleto Rodriguez repeatedly risked his life to
58	53		complete his mission and save the lives of his fellow soldiers, and
59	54		for his remarkable heroism, he is most assuredly deserving of this
60	55		state's supreme military award; now, therefore, be it
61	56		RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
62	57		hereby direct the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously
63	58		award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Cleto L. Rodriguez in
64	59		recognition of his valiant service during World War II.
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