SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 505
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 commemorating the
anniversary of his birth; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas 88th
Legislature, hereby recognize September 24, 2023, as Captain
Henry T. Waskow Day.
Flores
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President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the
above Resolution was adopted by
the Senate on May 2, 2023.
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Secretary of the Senate
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Member, Texas Senate