| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 2424 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The 99th birthday of an esteemed Texan is truly |
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| 6 | 6 | | cause for celebration, and C. P. Sloan is celebrating this joyous |
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| 7 | 7 | | occasion on June 1, 2023, to the delight of his family and friends; |
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| 8 | 8 | | and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Born to Harvey and Margaret Sloan in Navarro County |
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| 10 | 10 | | in 1924, "Buck" Sloan grew up with six siblings; he learned to play |
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| 11 | 11 | | the guitar as a boy, and when his father was forced to sell the |
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| 12 | 12 | | instrument to buy flour during the Great Depression, little Buck |
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| 13 | 13 | | made one out of a cooking oil can in order to keep practicing; his |
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| 14 | 14 | | grandfather then used his first pension check to buy him a $4.98 |
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| 15 | 15 | | Silvertone guitar from Sears & Roebuck; the family later moved to |
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| 16 | 16 | | Lufkin, where he began playing with a band called the East Texas Hay |
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| 17 | 17 | | Rakers; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, Mr. Sloan was inducted into the U.S. Army in |
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| 19 | 19 | | February 1943; a few weeks after the Normandy Landing, he was sent |
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| 20 | 20 | | to help fill in the ranks of the Second Infantry Division, B |
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| 21 | 21 | | Company, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squad; armed with a Browning Automatic |
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| 22 | 22 | | Rifle, he fought in fierce battles to liberate the city of Brest; |
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| 23 | 23 | | his canteen was shot off, his cheek was grazed by machine gun |
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| 24 | 24 | | bullets, and men died all around him, but he forged on and captured |
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| 25 | 25 | | a group of some 30 German soldiers; on December 18, 1944, during the |
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| 26 | 26 | | Battle of the Bulge, he was severely wounded by a German hand |
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| 27 | 27 | | grenade; among numerous decorations, he received the Purple Heart, |
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| 28 | 28 | | the French Legion of Honor, and five battle stars; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Following his demobilization on July 14, 1945, |
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| 30 | 30 | | Mr. Sloan returned home and began performing around Harris County |
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| 31 | 31 | | with such bands as Dee Turner and the Serenaders and Art Stockwell & |
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| 32 | 32 | | the Circle R Ranch Hands; he eventually formed the Buckshots, and |
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| 33 | 33 | | they became the house band at the Hitching Rail; many of the state's |
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| 34 | 34 | | best musicians came to sit in when they were in town, among them |
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| 35 | 35 | | members of the Bob Wills Band; later, the group did a four-year |
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| 36 | 36 | | stint at the Jacinto City Opry; in 2011, Mr. Sloan and his wife, |
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| 37 | 37 | | Shirley, opened their own dancehall, the Buckshot Jamboree, notable |
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| 38 | 38 | | for both the music and their display of collectibles and |
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| 39 | 39 | | memorabilia, including his beloved Silvertone; he was inducted into |
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| 40 | 40 | | both the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame |
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| 41 | 41 | | and the Bandera Music History Project Hall of Fame; in 2022, he |
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| 42 | 42 | | returned for the first time to France, where he was formally |
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| 43 | 43 | | welcomed to the Normandy Victory Museum; he also hosted his 46th |
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| 44 | 44 | | Annual Musician's Reunion in Bandera; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of 99 years, Buck Sloan has bravely |
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| 46 | 46 | | served his country and enriched the lives of innumerable people |
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| 47 | 47 | | through his music, and he is a source of inspiration to all who are |
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| 48 | 48 | | fortunate enough to know him; now, therefore, be it |
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| 49 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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| 50 | 50 | | Legislature hereby congratulate C. P. "Buck" Sloan on the occasion |
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| 51 | 51 | | of his 99th birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for |
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| 52 | 52 | | continued happiness; and, be it further |
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| 53 | 53 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 54 | 54 | | prepared for Mr. Sloan as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 55 | 55 | | House of Representatives. |
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| 56 | 56 | | Dutton |
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| 57 | 57 | | ______________________________ |
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| 58 | 58 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 59 | 59 | | I certify that H.R. No. 2424 was adopted by the House on May |
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| 60 | 60 | | 29, 2023, by a non-record vote. |
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| 61 | 61 | | ______________________________ |
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| 62 | 62 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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