Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HCR122 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.C.R. No. 122
	1	+	By: Dean (Senate Sponsor - Campbell) H.C.R. No. 122
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2017;
	3	+	May 10, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran
	4	+	Affairs & Border Security; May 15, 2017, reported favorably by the
	5	+	following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 15, 2017, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
2	7
3	8
4	9		HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
5	10		WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established
6	11		to recognize gallant and intrepid service by a member of the state
7	12		or federal military forces, and U.S. Army Master Sergeant Travis E.
8	13		Watkins proved himself a deserving recipient of this prestigious
9	14		award for his heroism during the Korean War; and
10	15		WHEREAS, Born in Waldo, Arkansas, Travis Watkins grew up in
11	16		Troup, Texas; answering his nation's call to duty, he enlisted in
12	17		the U.S. Army in 1939, and he served with distinction in the Pacific
13	18		theater during World War II, earning the Bronze Star for his actions
14	19		at Guadalcanal; after the war, he was honorably discharged, and in
15	20		1948, he married Madie Sue Barnett; the couple became the parents of
16	21		two daughters; and
17	22		WHEREAS, During the Korean War, Master Sergeant Watkins
18	23		reenlisted, and he was deployed to Korea with Company H, Ninth
19	24		Infantry Regiment, Second Infantry Division; on August 31, 1950,
20	25		the company was stationed near Yongsan when an overwhelming North
21	26		Korean force broke through the United Nations lines, and Sergeant
22	27		Watkins and 30 other men found themselves under siege and cut off
23	28		from the rest of their unit; and
24	29		WHEREAS, Over the next three days, Sergeant Watkins displayed
25	30		both remarkable leadership and extraordinary bravery; he took
26	31		command, established perimeter defenses to repel the constant enemy
27	32		assaults, and continually exposed himself to enemy fire by moving
28	33		from foxhole to foxhole to give instructions and encouragement to
29	34		his fellow soldiers; and
30	35		WHEREAS, When the unit's ammunition began to run out,
31	36		Sergeant Watkins shot two North Korean soldiers 50 yards beyond the
32	37		perimeter and went out alone to retrieve their weapons and
33	38		ammunition; he was wounded while doing so, but still managed to fell
34	39		all three of his enemy attackers; he collected their weapons and
35	40		ammunition as well and made it back to his astonished men; and
36	41		WHEREAS, Later, six of the enemy began to lob grenades into
37	42		the American perimeter, endangering the position; Sergeant Watkins
38	43		stood up from his foxhole and fired his rifle at the attackers; he
39	44		was immediately struck by machine gun fire, but he continued
40	45		shooting until he had killed all six North Koreans; he then
41	46		collapsed, paralyzed from the waist down; and
42	47		WHEREAS, Despite his grave injuries, Sergeant Watkins
43	48		continued to encourage his men, refusing to accept any food from
44	49		their dwindling supply; when it became clear that help would not
45	50		arrive in time, he ordered his men to withdraw, and he further
46	51		refused to let them take him with them, since his inability to walk
47	52		would only slow their retreat; in the last moments of his life, he
48	53		wished his comrades luck and remained at his post until the end; he
49	54		died two days before his 30th birthday; and
50	55		WHEREAS, Sergeant Watkins's leadership throughout this
51	56		ordeal helped to keep his men alive and enabled his troops to mount
52	57		a strong defense that killed approximately 500 enemy soldiers; in
53	58		recognition of his monumental courage, President Harry S. Truman
54	59		posthumously awarded him the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest
55	60		military award; the medal was presented to his wife in a ceremony in
56	61		Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1951; and
57	62		WHEREAS, In the years since, Sergeant Watkins has been
58	63		further honored in the state he called home; a housing complex at
59	64		Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio was named in his memory in 1961, and
60	65		the Watkins-Logan State Veterans Home in Tyler was also named in his
61	66		honor in 2011; in 2000 a supply ship, the USNS Watkins, was
62	67		christened in his name; his remains are interred at Gladewater
63	68		Memorial Park in Gladewater; and
64	69		WHEREAS, During a desperate situation in a time of war,
65	70		Master Sergeant Travis Watkins took command, bolstered the spirits
66	71		of his men, and repeatedly risked his life in their behalf, making
67	72		the ultimate sacrifice in order that they might survive; for this
68	73		selfless act of heroism, it is indeed appropriate that he be honored
69	74		with this state's supreme military commendation; now, therefore, be
70	75		it
71	76		RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas
72	77		hereby direct the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously
73	78		award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Travis E. Watkins in
74	79		recognition of his valiant service during the Korean War.
75		-	Dean
76		-	______________________________ ______________________________
77		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
78		-	I certify that H.C.R. No. 122 was adopted by the House on May
79		-	9, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 present, not
80		-	voting.
81		-	______________________________
82		-	Chief Clerk of the House
83		-	I certify that H.C.R. No. 122 was adopted by the Senate on May
84		-	19, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
85		-	______________________________
86		-	Secretary of the Senate
87		-	APPROVED: __________________
88		-	Date
89		-	__________________
90		-	Governor
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