Texas 2023 - 88th 4th C.S.

Texas House Bill HR107 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.R. No. 107
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, U.S. Army Colonel (Ret.) Ralph Hockley of Dallas, a
6	6	Holocaust survivor who distinguished himself through his exemplary
7	7	service to his fellow citizens, passed away on November 8, 2023, at
8	8	the age of 98; and
9	9	WHEREAS, Born as Rudolph Martin Hockenheimer on October 17,
10	10	1925, Ralph Hockley grew up in a Jewish household in Karlsruhe,
11	11	Germany; after Adolf Hitler rose to power, he and his family sought
12	12	refuge in Marseille, France, only to once again find themselves
13	13	under threat when the Nazis invaded France in May 1940; Mr. Hockley
14	14	was targeted for being a German immigrant and ultimately expelled
15	15	from school, while his father was arrested and held in various
16	16	internment camps; and
17	17	WHEREAS, Unable to return to school, Mr. Hockley used his
18	18	German, English, and French language skills to become an
19	19	interpreter for the American Friends Service Committee, a
20	20	Quaker-run organization that helped refugees to escape Nazi Germany
21	21	and occupied France; Mr. Hockley went on to use his connections to
22	22	the Quakers and the U.S. Consulate to secure visas for himself and
23	23	his family; after a long voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, the
24	24	Hockleys arrived in New York on June 30, 1941; and
25	25	WHEREAS, On the day he turned 18 years old, Mr. Hockley
26	26	enlisted in the U.S. Army, and he was eventually deployed to Europe
27	27	for assignments in port security and counterintelligence; in May
28	28	1946, he concluded his active duty service at the rank of sergeant
29	29	and remained in the army reserve; he subsequently earned a
30	30	bachelor's degree in Soviet studies from Syracuse University before
31	31	returning to active duty during the Korean War; he served in seven
32	32	campaigns in Korea, including as a forward observer for French
33	33	United Nations forces during the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge; in
34	34	recognition of his valorous actions in that war, he earned a Bronze
35	35	Star Medal with a "V" device, and he continued his career in
36	36	U.S. intelligence in West Germany until 1981; he accepted the
37	37	Legion of Honour, France's top civilian honor, in 2021; and
38	38	WHEREAS, From an early age, Mr. Hockley actively sought out
39	39	service opportunities in a number of organizations, including the
40	40	Free French youth association and the United Nations Appeal for
41	41	Children; for more than 70 years, he was a member of the Reserve
42	42	Officers Association of the United States, in which he held various
43	43	offices; he further served as president of the San Francisco branch
44	44	of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and as a
45	45	chapter president of the Korean War Veterans Association; in 2000,
46	46	he published a book about his military career and his experience
47	47	living in Nazi Germany, Freedom Is Not Free; he resided in the
48	48	Dallas area for a decade before his passing, and he had recently
49	49	begun sharing his story with visitors to the Dallas Holocaust and
50	50	Human Rights Museum and with other adult and student groups; and
51	51	WHEREAS, Mr. Hockley met his first wife, fellow Holocaust
52	52	survivor Eva Frankel, in Oakland, California, and the couple shared
53	53	in the joy of raising two children, Clifford and Denise; after her
54	54	death in 1983, he was fortunate to find love a second time with the
55	55	former Carolyn Glover Harris, his wife of nearly four decades; he
56	56	was blessed with a blended family that included three stepchildren,
57	57	Kris, Heidi, and Kirk, as well as many grandchildren,
58	58	step-grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; and
59	59	WHEREAS, After bearing witness to one of the darkest chapters
60	60	in history, Ralph Hockley courageously stepped forward to serve his
61	61	adopted country and to defend the cause of freedom, and those he
62	62	leaves behind will forever find inspiration in their memories of
63	63	this extraordinary man; now, therefore, be it
64	64	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
65	65	Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of
66	66	Ralph Hockley and extend heartfelt sympathy to the members of his
67	67	family: to his wife, Carolyn Glover Hockley; to his children,
68	68	Clifford Hockley and Denise Hockley; to his stepchildren, Kris
69	69	Harris, Heidi Hargis, and Dr. Kirk Harris; to his grandchildren,
70	70	step-grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; and to his other
71	71	relatives and friends; and, be it further
72	72	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
73	73	prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of
74	74	Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Ralph
75	75	Hockley.
76	76	Johnson of Dallas
77	77	______________________________
78	78	Speaker of the House
79	79	I certify that H.R. No. 107 was unanimously adopted by a
80	80	rising vote of the House on December 5, 2023.
81	81	______________________________
82	82	Chief Clerk of the House