86R20016 JGH-D
By: Wray H.C.R. No. 164
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established
to recognize gallant and intrepid service by a member of the state
or federal military forces, and U.S. Marine Corps First Lieutenant
Andrew Jackson Lummus Jr., who was killed in action in the Battle of
Iwo Jima during World War II, proved himself a deserving recipient
of this prestigious award; and
WHEREAS, Jack Lummus was born in Ennis on October 22, 1915,
and he grew up on his family's cotton farm during the Great
Depression; a gifted athlete, he earned scholarships to Texas
Military College and to Baylor University, where he played baseball
and football for the Bears; in early 1941, he left college to enlist
in the U.S. Army Air Corps but was given an honorable discharge when
he failed to complete flight school; he then accepted an offer to
play professional football with the New York Giants, and it was
during the team's game on December 7, 1941, that he learned of the
attack on Pearl Harbor; determined to serve his country, he
enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and after a series of training
and duty assignments in the United States, he was deployed to the
Pacific theater as an officer in the 2nd Battalion, 27th Marines,
5th Marine Division; and
WHEREAS, Lieutenant Lummus led his rifle platoon ashore at
Iwo Jima as part of the initial contingent of marine forces to land
on the island; on March 8, 1945, his unit advanced against a line of
Japanese pillboxes along the island's rugged Nishi Ridge; moving
ahead of his men under fierce enemy fire, he destroyed one pillbox
with grenades even as he was wounded and knocked off his feet by a
blast from an enemy grenade; undaunted, he eliminated a second
pillbox and returned to his platoon before attacking and knocking
out a third pillbox; he urged his fellow marines forward while
continuing to fire into enemy foxholes with his carbine; and
WHEREAS, This courageous Texan's one-man assault was ended
when he stepped on a land mine; though he lost both of his legs in
the explosion, he continued to shout to his men, "Don't stop now!
Keep going!" and by nightfall, his unit had taken the ridge;
Lieutenant Lummus died on the operating table in a field hospital
and was buried in the Fifth Marine Division cemetery on the island;
and
WHEREAS, On May 30, 1946, First Lieutenant Jack Lummus was
posthumously honored with the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest
commendation for valor in combat, by President Harry S. Truman, and
two years later, he was reinterred in his hometown cemetery; in the
decades since, his heroism has been recognized many times; in 1986,
the U.S. Navy named a ship after him, and that same year, Jack
Lummus Memorial Park was dedicated in Ennis, where there is also an
intermediate school that bears his name; his Medal of Honor
citation is on display at Baylor University, and on October 11,
2015, the New York Giants inducted him into the Ring of Honor at
MetLife Stadium; and
WHEREAS, During one of the most savage battles of World War
II, First Lieutenant Jack Lummus demonstrated extraordinary
bravery and leadership and made the ultimate sacrifice while
defending our nation, and he is indeed deserving of this state's
supreme military commendation; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby direct the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously
award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Andrew Jackson Lummus
Jr. in recognition of his valiant service during World War II.