88R26742 BPG-D
By: Flores S.C.R. No. 49
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The courageous service of U.S. Army Captain Henry T.
Waskow of Belton during World War II has inspired his fellow
Americans for nearly 80 years; and
WHEREAS, In January 1944, The Washington Daily News ran a
profoundly moving dispatch by legendary World War II correspondent
Ernie Pyle on its front page; the story related the tragic death of
Captain Waskow, who led B Company of the 1st Battalion, 143rd
Infantry Regiment, and had earned the tremendous respect, loyalty,
and affection of the men under his command before being killed in
action; and
WHEREAS, Captain Waskow first experienced combat during the
landings in Salerno, Italy, in September 1943; subsequently, his
company fought in the mountains of southern Italy, enduring
miserable, freezing conditions; he impressed his men with his
efficiency and his calm demeanor, even under artillery and machine
gun fire; on December 14, during the ferocious battle for San
Pietro, he was leading his men from a tree line to attack a German
position when he heard an incoming artillery shell; he shoved his
radio operator, crying "Hit the ground!," but he was cut down
himself by a piece of shrapnel; and
WHEREAS, When it was at last possible for the radio operator
to bring Captain Waskow's body back down the mountain three days
later, Mr. Pyle witnessed the final farewells of the captain's
grief-stricken men and wrote, "In this war I have known a lot of
officers who were loved and respected by the soldiers under them.
But never have I crossed the trail of any man as beloved as Captain
Henry T. Waskow of Belton, Texas"; the heartbreaking account,
syndicated by the Scripps-Howard news service and read over the
radio, resonated powerfully with the American public as an
illustration of humble nobility and the strong bonds of camaraderie
forged in wartime; and
WHEREAS, Henry T. Waskow was born in DeWitt County on
September 24, 1918, to Frank and Mary Waskow, first-generation
Americans of German descent; he grew up on a farm in Bell County
with seven siblings; quiet, serious, dutiful, and industrious, he
graduated as president of his class at Belton High School and
attended Temple Junior College before working his way through
Trinity University as a campus janitor; he enlisted in the Texas
National Guard while preparing for a career in teaching, and after
he was called to active duty, he rose quickly through the ranks; in
January 1943, he was promoted to captain, and his division was
deployed to Algeria that April; and
WHEREAS, Captain Waskow's grave near Nettuno, Italy, has been
visited by countless people, and he is not forgotten at home; VFW
Post No. 4008 in Belton and the Belton New Tech High School @Waskow
are named in his honor; and
WHEREAS, Exemplifying the highest ideals of the U.S. armed
forces, Captain Henry T. Waskow has long been revered as a moving
example of the heroism demonstrated by American service members as
well as the sacrifices made in defense of our nation, and it is
indeed fitting to further honor his memory by officially
commemorating the anniversary of his birth; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate September 24 as Captain Henry T. Waskow Day; and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section
391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect
until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally
passed by the legislature.