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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established |
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to recognize gallant and intrepid service by a Texan in the state or |
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federal military forces, and through his courageous actions in |
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Vietnam, U.S. Marine Corporal Roy Cisneros of San Antonio proved |
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himself a worthy candidate for this prestigious honor; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on February 6, 1949, Roy Cisneros attended |
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Cenizo Park Elementary School, Truman Middle School, and Edgewood |
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High School; following his graduation in 1967, he joined the |
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marines and trained at Camp Pendleton, California; in December |
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1967, he deployed to Vietnam, where he became a squad leader with |
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Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division |
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(Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force; and |
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WHEREAS, On September 11, 1968, Corporal Cisneros was |
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conducting a reconnaissance in force in Quang Tri, the northernmost |
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province in the Republic of Vietnam, when his company came under |
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intense small arms and automatic weapons fire from an opposing |
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company of North Vietnamese soldiers occupying fortified positions |
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on a hill; during the ensuing combat, Corporal Cisneros skillfully |
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maneuvered his squad across the hazardous terrain and directed his |
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men's fire with devastating accuracy, destroying three enemy |
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bunkers; and |
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WHEREAS, With his squad pinned down by a heavy volume of fire |
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from a fourth emplacement, Corporal Cisneros advanced alone and |
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sought single-handedly to destroy the position; after firing a |
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light antitank assault weapon into the bunker, he hurled hand |
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grenades at the defenders and then opened fire with his rifle as he |
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aggressively continued his assault; disregarding his own safety, he |
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was delivering an effective attack on the emplacement when he was |
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mortally wounded; and |
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WHEREAS, The resolute determination and fighting spirit |
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demonstrated by Corporal Cisneros inspired all who observed him, |
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and he was instrumental in his unit's accounting for 45 North |
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Vietnamese soldiers confirmed killed; as a result of his actions, |
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Corporal Cisneros was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, the |
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second highest honor for valor that can be bestowed on a marine; and |
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WHEREAS, Corporal Cisneros also received the Military Merit |
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Medal and Gallantry Cross with Palm from the Republic of Vietnam; in |
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2009, the elementary school he attended was renamed Roy Cisneros |
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Elementary School in his honor by the Edgewood Independent School |
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District; and |
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WHEREAS, Through his unhesitating selflessness and his |
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steadfast devotion to duty, honor, and this country, Corporal Roy |
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Cisneros embodied the highest ideals of the United States Marine |
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Corps, and he most assuredly merits the award of this state's |
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supreme military medal; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby posthumously confer the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor on |
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U.S. Marine Corporal Roy Cisneros in tribute to his heroic service |
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in Vietnam and express profound appreciation on behalf of all his |
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fellow Texans; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for his family as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives and Senate. |