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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, Family and friends will forever treasure their |
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| 6 | 7 | | memories of decorated World War II veteran Ervin Martin Koerth, who |
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| 7 | 8 | | died on October 8, 2013, at the age of 91; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born on July 16, 1922, to Gus and Cora Koerth in |
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| 9 | 10 | | Nolan County, Texas, Ervin Koerth enlisted in the U.S. Army on his |
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| 10 | 11 | | 20th birthday; after attending parachute jump school at Fort |
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| 11 | 12 | | Benning, Georgia, he became a member of the elite 551st Parachute |
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| 12 | 13 | | Infantry Battalion, an unattached unit of 800 men that was assigned |
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| 13 | 14 | | wherever it was most needed; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In mid-August 1944, Paratrooper Koerth and the 551st |
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| 15 | 16 | | took part in the Allied invasion of southern France; the unit |
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| 16 | 17 | | liberated Draguignan against heavy resistance, capturing a German |
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| 17 | 18 | | major general, and then took Nice on August 29; ordered next to the |
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| 18 | 19 | | French-Italian Alps for several months and subsequently to northern |
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| 19 | 20 | | France, the 551st was attached to the 82nd Infantry Division late in |
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| 20 | 21 | | the year, when it joined the Allied counteroffensive in the Battle |
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| 21 | 22 | | of the Bulge; Mr. Koerth, by then a staff sergeant and platoon |
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| 22 | 23 | | leader, helped drive the Germans back at Noirefontaine, Herispehe, |
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| 23 | 24 | | Dairomont, and Quartiers, enduring bitter cold and engaging in |
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| 24 | 25 | | brutal hand-to-hand combat; on January 7, 1945, the 551st took |
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| 25 | 26 | | Rochelinval, but at a terrible cost, with casualties amounting to |
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| 26 | 27 | | more than 85 percent of its strength; by the end of its assault on |
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| 27 | 28 | | the superior German force, the 551st numbered only 14 officers and |
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| 28 | 29 | | 96 troops; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, The battalion was relieved on January 9, and |
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| 30 | 31 | | Sergeant Koerth, suffering from burst eardrums from the sheer noise |
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| 31 | 32 | | of the bombs, mortars, and artillery, was sent to an army hospital |
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| 32 | 33 | | for a month; while he was receiving treatment, the 551st was |
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| 33 | 34 | | deactivated and all its remaining personnel were absorbed into the |
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| 34 | 35 | | 82nd Airborne Division; Mr. Koerth was assigned to the 504th |
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| 35 | 36 | | Parachute Infantry Battalion of the 82nd and fought with that unit |
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| 36 | 37 | | as far as the Elbe River; on May 2, 1945, the 82nd accepted the |
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| 37 | 38 | | surrender of the German 21st Army; some four and a half months |
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| 38 | 39 | | later, Mr. Koerth returned to the United States, and on September |
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| 39 | 40 | | 25, 1945, he received an honorable discharge; and |
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| 40 | 41 | | WHEREAS, This intrepid Texan was awarded the Purple Heart, |
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| 41 | 42 | | the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the |
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| 42 | 43 | | European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the Combat |
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| 43 | 44 | | Infantryman Badge; the 551st was recognized with a Presidential |
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| 44 | 45 | | Unit Citation for its actions during the Battle of the Bulge, as |
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| 45 | 46 | | well as with the Croix de Guerre from the French government for its |
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| 46 | 47 | | valor at Draguignan; and |
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| 47 | 48 | | WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Koerth lived for many years in |
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| 48 | 49 | | Grand Prairie, where from 1968 until his retirement in 1978 he |
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| 49 | 50 | | operated his own company, LESKO, which made parts for the aircraft |
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| 50 | 51 | | industry; he shared a rewarding, seven-decade-long marriage with |
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| 51 | 52 | | his wife, Lois, whom he married while on furlough in 1943, and he |
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| 52 | 53 | | was the proud father of a daughter, Sandra; later in life, he was |
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| 53 | 54 | | blessed with three grandsons, Brian, Bart, and Harlan Kickhoefer; |
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| 54 | 55 | | Mr. Koerth passed away in 2013; and |
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| 55 | 56 | | WHEREAS, During the greatest conflict of the 20th century, |
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| 56 | 57 | | Ervin Koerth exemplified the highest ideals of the U.S. armed |
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| 57 | 58 | | forces, conducting himself with fortitude, tenacity, and courage, |
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| 58 | 59 | | and he has left behind a record of service to his country that will |
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| 59 | 60 | | continue to inspire all those who knew and loved him; now, |
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| 60 | 61 | | therefore, be it |
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| 61 | 62 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 62 | 63 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Ervin Martin Koerth |
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| 63 | 64 | | for his heroic efforts in behalf of this nation during World War II; |
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| 64 | 65 | | and, be it further |
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| 65 | 66 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 66 | 67 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 67 | 68 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ervin |
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| 68 | 69 | | Martin Koerth. |
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