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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The Rio Grande Valley has given legions of |
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courageous men and women to the United States armed forces, and one |
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of the most heroic was Pedro Cano, of Hidalgo County; and |
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WHEREAS, Born to Nicholasa Gonzalez Cano and Secundino Cano |
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on July 7, 1920, in Nuevo Leon in Mexico, Mr. Cano moved with his |
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family to Texas when he was just two months old; with the exception |
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of the time he spent in the U.S. Army, he lived the rest of his life |
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on the Texas side of the Rio Grande, where he worked as an |
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agricultural laborer and farmer; and |
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WHEREAS, When he was called up by the army during World War |
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II, Mr. Cano, a slight man with limited knowledge of English, had |
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little wish to leave the Valley; he reported for duty nevertheless |
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and subsequently deployed to the European theater; in the fall of |
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1944 he was with the 4th Infantry Division when that force, after |
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helping to liberate Paris, launched an attack on the Siegfried |
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Line; and |
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WHEREAS, In the course of that push against German defenses, |
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Private Cano fought in the months-long battle of Hurtgen Forest, |
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and it was during that struggle that he etched his name in the |
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annals of military valor; he was advancing with his company near |
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Schevenhutte, Germany, in December 1944 when the unit came under |
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withering fire from German machine guns; with his comrades pinned |
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down, Private Cano worked his way forward alone, through a hail of |
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fire and over more than 100 yards of heavily mined terrain, until he |
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was within 30 feet of the nearest German emplacement; firing one |
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round with his hand-held rocket launcher, he destroyed the position |
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and killed its two gunners and five supporting riflemen; he then |
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moved on toward a second emplacement, which he attacked with his |
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rifle and hand grenades, killing several more soldiers; and |
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WHEREAS, With another American company nearby similarly |
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immobilized, Private Cano crept to within 15 yards of a third |
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emplacement, killed its two gunners with a rocket, and then |
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destroyed yet another emplacement and killed its gunners, enabling |
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that company to also advance; and |
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WHEREAS, The next day, the Americans once more encountered |
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heavy German resistance, and Private Cano again moved forward alone |
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with his bazooka; crossing open, fire-swept ground, he succeeded in |
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suppressing three more machine-gun positions and killing their |
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gunners, bringing to nearly 30 the number of German soldiers he |
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killed during that two-day period; and |
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WHEREAS, Sometime later, while on patrol, Private Cano and |
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his platoon were surprised by German soldiers, who inflicted heavy |
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casualties; Private Cano lay motionless on the ground until the |
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assailants closed in, then tossed a grenade into their midst, |
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wounding or killing all of them; and |
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WHEREAS, It was in this engagement, or shortly thereafter, |
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that Pedro Cano sustained injuries that left him permanently |
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disabled; in addition to a Purple Heart, he was awarded two Silver |
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Stars and a Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's |
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second-highest award for gallantry; of the more than 16,100,000 |
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individuals who served in the U.S. armed forces during World War II, |
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only 5,059 were recognized with the DSC; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Cano's most illustrious medal arrived by mail at |
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his home near Edinburg, and the unassuming veteran put it away in a |
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closet; area citizens, however, learned of the award and were |
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indignant at the military's seeming lack of respect; they secured |
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the cooperation of the U.S. War Department in planning a public |
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celebration, much to Mr. Cano's consternation, and April 26, 1946, |
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was designated Pedro Cano Day; and |
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WHEREAS, Edinburg schools and most businesses closed for the |
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occasion and some 4,000 local residents turned out to witness a |
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parade, followed by a ceremony at the courthouse square; there, |
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General Jonathan M. Wainwright, commander of the 4th Army, |
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presented the DSC to Mr. Cano in the presence of Rear Admiral Joseph |
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James Clark of the U.S. Navy, General J. Trinidad Rodriguez and |
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Colonel J. Tiburcio Garza Zamorra of the Mexican Army, Texas State |
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Senator Rogers Kelley, Valley military heroes William G. Harrell, |
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Luis N. Gonzalez, and Jose M. Lopez, U.S. and Mexican consular |
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officials, Mr. Cano's wife and mother, and a throng of |
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well-wishers; in his remarks, General Wainwright declared that he |
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believed Pedro Cano actually deserved the highest recognition of |
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all, the medal of honor; and |
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WHEREAS, The day's festivities also included a barbecue |
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funded by public subscription, a luncheon and reception for Mr. |
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Cano and special guests, and a dinner and dance hosted by the |
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Edinburg Civic Association; in addition, the state commander of the |
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American Legion conferred on Mr. Cano a life membership in that |
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organization; and |
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WHEREAS, In May 1946, Mr. Cano realized a longtime aspiration |
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when he received his American citizenship; though disabled, he also |
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longed to take up farming again, and the state stepped in to provide |
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him with 40 acres, a house, a truck, and farm equipment; and |
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WHEREAS, Pedro Cano died on June 24, 1952, as a result of a |
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traffic accident; survived by his wife, Herminia Garza Cano, his |
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daughters, Dominga and Maria, and his son, Susano, the 31-year-old |
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veteran was buried with military honors in Edinburg, where today a |
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street and an elementary school both bear his name; and |
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WHEREAS, The heroism exhibited by Pedro Cano is a testament |
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to the extraordinary capacity of the human spirit for selfless |
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action in the face of near-certain death, and his fellow citizens |
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owe this quiet Texan a lasting debt of gratitude and remembrance; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Representative Aaron Peña has justly recognized |
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Pedro Cano by authoring this resolution in his behalf during the |
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regular session of the 81st Texas Legislature; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the courageous service of Pedro Cano |
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and recognize April 26, 2009, as Pedro Cano Day in Edinburg; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Cano's family as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |