Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SR530 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 530
2	2	In Memory
3	3	of
4	4	Lucy Coffey
5	5	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas remembers and
6	6	pays tribute to Lucy Coffey, one of the oldest female World War II
7	7	veterans, who passed away in San Antonio on March 19, 2015, at the
8	8	age of 108; and
9	9	WHEREAS, Originally from Mahalasville, Indiana, Lucy
10	10	Coffey moved to Dallas and was working for an A&P grocery store
11	11	when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941; she quit her job and
12	12	joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps at the age of 37, one of
13	13	only 150,000 women to join the corps who were not nurses; Lucy's
14	14	intense desire to serve is evident in the multiple attempts she
15	15	made to enlist; due to her small stature, she had to apply a
16	16	number of times to the corps, but her tenacity paid off when she
17	17	was finally accepted into the military in 1943; and
18	18	WHEREAS, Lucy served honorably in the Pacific, earning the
19	19	rank of staff sergeant, and was awarded the Philippine Liberation
20	20	Medal with a bronze star in the Battle of Luzon; in addition, she
21	21	earned an Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with one bronze star, a
22	22	World War II Victory Medal, the Women's Army Corps Service Medal,
23	23	and a Good Conduct Medal; she served in Australia, New Guinea,
24	24	the Philippines, and eventually Japan, where she worked as an
25	25	account-statistician; and
26	26	WHEREAS, Lucy Coffey braved the horrors of combat when her
27	27	unit moved closer to the front lines, where the unit faced food
28	28	and water shortages and sometimes depended on Navy sailors to
29	29	share their rations; two of Staff Sergeant Coffey's brothers
30	30	served in the Pacific as well, testifying to the Coffey family's
31	31	commitment to the nation; in an era when many thought that women
32	32	did not have a place in the military, Staff Sergeant Coffey led by
33	33	example and volunteered to defend the nation during a time of
34	34	dire need; and
35	35	WHEREAS, After her discharge in 1945, Lucy Coffey spent 13
36	36	years working as an Army civilian in Okinawa, Japan, before
37	37	settling in San Antonio, where she would spend the rest of her
38	38	life; she worked in the procurement office at Kelly Air Force
39	39	Base until her retirement in 1971; Lucy Coffey maintained a
40	40	strong spirit of service to her country during her lifetime,
41	41	continuing to serve the greater good well beyond her military
42	42	enlistment; and
43	43	WHEREAS, Lucy Coffey was one of 400,000 women who served
44	44	their country during World War II; many things have changed
45	45	in the military since Staff Sergeant Coffey joined, but it
46	46	was women like her who blazed a trail for modern female
47	47	soldiers and helped expand female service from one small unit
48	48	to the force of more than two million American women it is
49	49	today; the San Antonio Veterans Service Office stated that
50	50	Lucy Coffey "was an incredible lady who will be missed dearly"
51	51	and that "her contributions to our country and community will not
52	52	be forgotten"; and
53	53	WHEREAS, Despite over 70 years of continuous service,
54	54	women in the military still face challenges on a daily basis, but
55	55	Lucy Coffey's legacy continues to inspire them; she opened
56	56	avenues for women to serve this country by answering the nation's
57	57	first call for service for women, and her memory lives on as a
58	58	testament to the resilience and determination of all veterans in
59	59	the face of danger; her valor and conviction impart confidence to
60	60	younger generations' future leaders, both military and civilian;
61	61	and
62	62	WHEREAS, Lucy Coffey was honored at the White House in 2014
63	63	by the president and vice president during her visit to the
64	64	memorials dedicated to veterans; she was a humble pioneer of
65	65	military equality and esprit de corps; she suffered a stroke in
66	66	2013 and used an oxygen system during her last years, yet she
67	67	remained energetic and enthusiastic, speaking to reporters and
68	68	audiences about her incomparable experiences; when asked about
69	69	her service just before her death, Staff Sergeant Coffey replied,
70	70	"I'd love to serve my country forever"; now, therefore, be it
71	71	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 84th
72	72	Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the family and
73	73	friends of Lucy Coffey; and, be it further
74	74	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for
75	75	her family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas
76	76	Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in
77	77	memory of Lucy Coffey.
78	78	Menéndez, Campbell
79	79	________________________________
80	80	President of the Senate
81	81	I hereby certify that the
82	82	above Resolution was adopted by
83	83	the Senate on April 13, 2015, by a
84	84	rising vote.
85	85	________________________________
86	86	Secretary of the Senate
87	87	________________________________
88	88	Member, Texas Senate
89	89	________________________________
90	90	Member, Texas Senate