TITLE: Directing the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Chief Petty Officer Christopher Scott Kyle.

SUMMARY: Directing the governor of the State of Texas to posthumously award the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Chief Petty Officer Christopher Scott Kyle.

FULL TEXT:
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