H.C.R. No. 85

	HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
	WHEREAS, The Texas Legislative Medal of Honor was established
	to recognize gallant and intrepid service by a member of the state
	or federal military forces, and U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Chris
	Kyle, the most successful sniper in U.S. military history, proved
	himself a deserving recipient of this prestigious award; and
	WHEREAS, Born in Odessa on April 8, 1974, Christopher Scott
	Kyle learned patience and marksmanship at an early age; his father
	bought him a rifle when he was eight, and he hunted on the family
	ranch for pheasant and deer; after high school, he worked as a ranch
	hand and a professional rodeo rider until he was injured; despite
	the pins in his arm from his rodeo injuries, he actively sought to
	serve his nation, and thanks to his grit and determination, he was
	accepted into the elite Navy SEALs unit in 1999; and
	WHEREAS, Chief Petty Officer Kyle served four tours of duty
	in Iraq as a member of SEAL Team 3, and he fought in every major
	battle of Operation Iraqi Freedom, including engagements in Ramadi,
	Fallujah, and Baghdad; working in hot, dirty, and dangerous
	conditions, Chief Kyle put himself in harm's way on a daily basis,
	setting up his sniper's post in abandoned buildings, sometimes for
	as long as five weeks at a time, watching tirelessly through his
	scope for enemy combatants and, through his efforts, saving
	countless American lives; and
	WHEREAS, Known by his peers as "the Legend" for his uncanny
	skill, Chief Kyle often successfully took long-range shots, and in
	Sadr City in 2008, after he spotted an insurgent approaching an army
	convoy with a rocket launcher, he shot the man from a distance of
	2,100 yards, or 1.2 miles; as feared by the enemy as he was
	celebrated by his fellow Americans, Chief Kyle was nicknamed
	Al-Shaitan Ramadi, or "The Devil of Ramadi," by the insurgents, who
	put an $80,000 price on his head; and
	WHEREAS, Chief Kyle regularly demonstrated conspicuous
	gallantry in the thick of combat; during the second battle for
	Fallujah in November 2004, two Marines and two journalists were
	trapped near a heavily fortified enemy position, and as the Marines
	around him provided covering fire, Chief Kyle dashed through enemy
	fire, joined the trapped men, and provided suppressing fire to
	enable them to escape; then, as he made his own escape, he
	discovered one of the Marines wounded in the road, and, with enemy
	rounds thudding all around him, he grabbed his wounded comrade by
	his body armor and dragged him 50 yards to safety; he then returned
	to the battle until the last enemy insurgent was killed; and
	WHEREAS, Chief Kyle's bravery that day earned him one of his
	five Bronze Stars with Valor, and he also received two Silver Stars
	along with many other decorations; he was shot twice and survived
	six IED explosions, and by the time he left the navy to return to his
	family in Texas in 2009, he was credited with the highest number of
	confirmed kills in U.S. military history; and
	WHEREAS, Chief Kyle continued to distinguish himself in
	civilian life, running a security training company and publishing a
	best-selling combat memoir, which inspired an award-winning motion
	picture; he worked with the FITCO Cares Foundation to provide
	support to disabled veterans, and, tragically, he died while trying
	to help another veteran; such was the respect and admiration he had
	earned from his fellow Texans that his funeral procession from
	Midlothian to Austin stretched for more than 200 miles, one of the
	longest memorial processions in American history; and
	WHEREAS, Chris Kyle repeatedly risked his life to save the
	lives of his fellow soldiers and to advance their mission, and for
	his remarkable heroism he is most assuredly deserving of this
	state's supreme military award; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
	hereby direct the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously
	award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Christopher Scott
	Kyle in recognition of his valiant service during Operation Iraqi
	Freedom.
	Wray Geren
	Flynn Blanco
	Miller of Fort Bend Crownover
	Kacal Minjarez
	Paul Price
	Shaheen Spitzer
	Thompson of Brazoria White of Tyler
	Zerwas
	______________________________	______________________________
	President of the Senate	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 85 was adopted by the House on May
	12, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 147, Nays 0, 1 present, not
	voting.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House
	I certify that H.C.R. No. 85 was adopted by the Senate on May
	26, 2015, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
	______________________________
	Secretary of the Senate
	APPROVED: __________________
	Date
	__________________
	Governor