87S10148 JGH-D
By: Buckley H.R. No. 6
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, A full and generous life devoted to the service of
his nation has drawn to a close with the death of retired U.S. Army
Colonel Ralph C. Gauer Sr. on June 3, 2021; and
WHEREAS, A native of Chicago, Ralph Gauer received his
bachelor's degree from Loyola University, and in June 1958, he
joined the U.S. Army and embarked on a distinguished military
career that spanned three decades; he served around the world,
including assignments with special operations units in Central and
South America, Vietnam, and Korea, and later in life, he earned a
master's degree in government from the University of Maryland and
graduated from the U.S. Army War College and the National War
College; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of his exemplary 31-year tenure in
the army, Colonel Gauer was the senior staff intelligence officer
for the 1st Cavalry Division and the III Corps, where he later
became interim chief of staff; he also served as Deputy C2 of the
United States/Republic of Korea Combined Forces Command, and he
commanded the 312th Military Intelligence Battalion and the 504th
Military Intelligence Brigade; in addition, he served many faculty
assignments at the army's John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center
and School at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he eventually
became director of its School of International Studies; and
WHEREAS, After retiring from the army in 1990, Colonel Gauer
started his own business, RCG Media Services, which provided
military and international news reports to television stations; in
1997, he settled in Austin, where he worked for State Senator Troy
Fraser on veterans and national defense issues and served as vice
chair of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission; he retired
again in 2017, but he remained active in veterans and military
issues as a leading member of the Association of the U.S. Army; and
WHEREAS, Colonel Gauer's numerous military decorations
included the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star Medal, and in
civilian life, he earned the Spirit of America Medal from the Good
Soldier Foundation, the Armed Services YMCA Volunteer Excellence
Award, and the Jefferson Award for Public Service from the American
Institute for Public Service, among other honors; and
WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Colonel Gauer enjoyed the love
and support of his wife, Mary; he was the proud father of four
children, Ralph, Todd, Laura, and the late Joseph August Gauer III,
and he was blessed with a granddaughter, Katherine, and a
great-granddaughter, Isla; and
WHEREAS, A distinguished soldier and a dedicated public
servant, Ralph Gauer will be deeply missed, but the patriotism,
integrity, and dedication to duty that defined his life will
forever inspire all those who had the good fortune to know him; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the memory
of Ralph C. Gauer Sr. and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members
of his family and to his many friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Colonel
Ralph C. Gauer Sr.