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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The athletic achievements and military service of |
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Army Specialist Brad Thomas of Jones Creek were deservedly honored |
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on March 29, 2011, when he became the first person from Brazosport |
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High School to have his baseball jersey retired; and |
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WHEREAS, School officials and coaches chose Specialist |
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Thomas for this honor because he embodies the qualities they |
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promote in their sports programs; during his years in school, he was |
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an outstanding athlete and team player as well as a dedicated |
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scholar and a young man of exemplary character; chosen as the most |
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valuable player on the 2004 Brazosport team, he was widely |
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respected on the field and in the halls of his school; moreover, |
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this admirable young man has continued to demonstrate determination |
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and courage in the years since his graduation while facing a number |
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of significant challenges; and |
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WHEREAS, After earning his diploma, Mr. Thomas initially |
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accepted an offer to study and play football at Texas Lutheran |
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University, but he decided to leave school a year and a half later |
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in order to serve his nation in the United States Army; in making |
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his decision, he was inspired by the example of his best friend, |
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Cody Ford, who had opted to join the military; the two had grown up |
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together and shared an interest in the armed forces, and they had |
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long discussed their mutual dream of enlisting; and |
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WHEREAS, Turning down an initial assignment as a medic, |
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Specialist Thomas requested to be assigned to the infantry; while |
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completing training, he suffered an immeasurable loss when he |
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learned that Mr. Ford had been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in |
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December 2006; though deeply saddened, he found further motivation |
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in the tragic turn of events, and he told his friend's family that |
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the death had made him even more determined to serve in combat so |
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that he could take up the mission that Mr. Ford had begun; and |
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WHEREAS, Specialist Thomas left for a 15-month deployment to |
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Iraq in November 2007, expressing his wholehearted belief in his |
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mission; he also found that the lessons about teamwork that he had |
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learned in high school athletics translated well to the combat |
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squads in which he worked; and |
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WHEREAS, Only months into his mission, this valiant Texan was |
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injured by a roadside bomb in January 2008, suffering a traumatic |
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brain injury that has required him to remain in a Florida hospital; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The devoted family of Specialist Thomas has remained |
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by his side, living through a roller coaster of emotions with his |
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gains and setbacks, and maintaining their hope that he will one day |
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return to Texas; that dream is shared by the residents of southern |
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Brazoria County, who have continued an outpouring of love and |
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support for the Thomas family for more than three years, waiting for |
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this heroic soldier to come home; and |
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WHEREAS, The retiring of the baseball jersey that Brad Thomas |
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wore for Brazosport High is a fitting tribute to a young man who has |
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distinguished himself as a star athlete and as an American hero and |
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whose achievements will remain a source of inspiration for area |
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residents for many years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend Brad Thomas on his military service, |
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congratulate him on becoming the first baseball player from |
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Brazosport High School to have his jersey retired, and extend to him |
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sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Specialist Thomas as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |