Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HR638 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 638
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, Family and friends will forever treasure their
6	6	memories of decorated World War II veteran Harvey Kenneth Burrow,
7	7	who died on January 12, 2004, at the age of 86; and
8	8	WHEREAS, Harvey Burrow was born in Knox County on May 17,
9	9	1917, to Hiram and Vera Burrow; the son of sharecroppers, he learned
10	10	the value of hard work at an early age, and on his 21st birthday in
11	11	1938, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a member of the army's
12	12	first parachute unit, the 501st Parachute Infantry Battalion; he
13	13	went on to serve in Company C of the elite 551st Parachute Infantry
14	14	Battalion, an independent unit of 800 men that was assigned
15	15	wherever it was most needed; and
16	16	WHEREAS, In August 1944, Paratrooper Burrow and the 551st
17	17	participated in the Allied invasion of southern France, where they
18	18	freed Draguignan against heavy resistance, captured a German major
19	19	general, and liberated the city of Nice; during the fighting, he
20	20	earned the nickname "Mule" when he retrieved supplies from a pack
21	21	mule that had been killed by enemy fire and carried them himself up
22	22	a hill to relieve another unit; and
23	23	WHEREAS, Following several months in the Alps, the 551st took
24	24	part in the Battle of the Bulge, where Mr. Burrow, now a sergeant,
25	25	endured bitter cold and took part in brutal hand-to-hand combat,
26	26	helping to drive the Germans back at Noirefontaine, Herispehe,
27	27	Dairomont, and Quartiers; he evaded capture at one point by hiding
28	28	in a freezing river and breathing through a reed, and when army
29	29	doctors wanted to amputate his frozen legs, he held them at bay with
30	30	an unloaded pistol and massaged his legs until the circulation was
31	31	restored; on January 7, 1945, the 551st took the city of
32	32	Rochelinval, but by now, the unit had lost 85 percent of its men,
33	33	with only 14 officers and 96 troops remaining; and
34	34	WHEREAS, After a month in the hospital, Sergeant Burrow was
35	35	assigned to the 508th Parachute Infantry Battalion of the 82nd
36	36	Airborne Division, and he took part in the advance across the Elbe
37	37	River, where the 82nd Airborne accepted the surrender of the German
38	38	21st Army on May 2, 1945; discharged later that year, he continued
39	39	to serve in the Texas National Guard; and
40	40	WHEREAS, This intrepid Texan was awarded two Bronze Stars,
41	41	four Purple Hearts, the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign
42	42	Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the
43	43	Combat Infantryman Badge; the 551st was recognized with a
44	44	Presidential Unit Citation for its efforts at the Battle of the
45	45	Bulge and with the Croix de Guerre from the French government for
46	46	its valor at Draguignan; and
47	47	WHEREAS, After the war, Mr. Burrow lived for many years in
48	48	Premont, where he worked for the Sun Oil Company until his
49	49	retirement in 1984; he and his wife, Martha, shared a rewarding
50	50	marriage that spanned 50 years, and he was the proud father of four
51	51	children, Kenny, Carolyn, Debra, and Tammy; and
52	52	WHEREAS, During the greatest conflict of the 20th century,
53	53	Harvey Burrow exemplified the highest ideals of the U.S. armed
54	54	forces, conducting himself with fortitude, tenacity, and courage
55	55	during some of the fiercest fighting of the war, and he leaves
56	56	behind a record of service to his country that will continue to
57	57	inspire all those who knew and loved him; now, therefore, be it
58	58	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
59	59	Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Harvey Kenneth Burrow
60	60	for his heroic efforts on behalf of this nation during World War II;
61	61	and, be it further
62	62	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
63	63	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
64	64	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Harvey
65	65	Burrow.
66	66	Harris of Anderson
67	67	______________________________
68	68	Speaker of the House
69	69	I certify that H.R. No. 638 was unanimously adopted by a
70	70	rising vote of the House on March 30, 2023.
71	71	______________________________
72	72	Chief Clerk of the House