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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, A life filled with meaningful achievements and |
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| 6 | 7 | | courageous wartime service drew to a close with the passing of |
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| 7 | 8 | | Hermon Rudolph Netherland of Colmesneil on March 19, 2021, at the |
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| 8 | 9 | | age of 94; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, Born on April 21, 1926, in Enterprise, Louisiana, |
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| 10 | 11 | | Hermon Netherland was the son of Neal and Anne Netherland; he later |
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| 11 | 12 | | moved with his family to Port Arthur, and when he was 16 years old, |
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| 12 | 13 | | he persuaded his father to allow him to enlist in the United States |
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| 13 | 14 | | Navy to fight in World War II; he trained as both a signalman and a |
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| 14 | 15 | | specialist in underwater demolitions, and he would eventually take |
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| 15 | 16 | | part in nearly every major campaign in the Pacific theater of |
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| 16 | 17 | | operations; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Throughout the war, Mr. Netherland was stationed |
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| 18 | 19 | | aboard the USS Birgit, a troop transport and cargo vessel; he was |
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| 19 | 20 | | present for the invasions of Guam, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the |
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| 20 | 21 | | Philippines, and the Marshall Islands, and while deployed to the |
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| 21 | 22 | | Philippines, he and his fellow Navy "frogmen" were tasked with |
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| 22 | 23 | | neutralizing underwater mines left by Japanese forces; his duties |
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| 23 | 24 | | were often perilous, and he was wounded twice, once when he was |
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| 24 | 25 | | struck by mortar shrapnel and once when he was shot by a Japanese |
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| 25 | 26 | | soldier on the shore of Okinawa; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, After returning to Port Arthur, Mr. Netherland met |
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| 27 | 28 | | his future wife, Velma, and the couple shared a rewarding marriage |
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| 28 | 29 | | that spanned 64 years before her passing; they became the parents of |
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| 29 | 30 | | a daughter, Sharon, who also preceded her father in death; and |
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| 30 | 31 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Netherland worked for Texaco in Port Arthur |
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| 31 | 32 | | until retiring in 1985; he subsequently moved to his cabin on Lake |
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| 32 | 33 | | Amanda in Colmesneil, where he resided for 36 years; during his |
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| 33 | 34 | | leisure time, he enjoyed deer hunting and fishing, especially for |
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| 34 | 35 | | catfish along the Sabine River; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, A devoted family man, a dear friend, and an |
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| 36 | 37 | | exemplary member of the Greatest Generation, Hermon Rudolph |
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| 37 | 38 | | Netherland will be greatly missed, and his memory will long endure |
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| 38 | 39 | | in the hearts of all those who were privileged to know him; now, |
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| 39 | 40 | | therefore, be it |
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| 40 | 41 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 41 | 42 | | Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Hermon Rudolph |
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| 42 | 43 | | Netherland and extend deepest sympathy to those who mourn his |
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| 43 | 44 | | passing; and, be it further |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 45 | 46 | | prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of |
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| 46 | 47 | | Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Hermon |
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| 47 | 48 | | Netherland. |
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