TITLE: Congratulating C. P. "Buck" Sloan of Houston on his 99th birthday.

SUMMARY: Congratulating C. P. "Buck" Sloan of Houston on his 99th birthday.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, The 99th birthday of an esteemed Texan is truly cause for celebration, and C. P. Sloan is celebrating this joyous occasion on June 1, 2023, to the delight of his family and friends; and WHEREAS, Born to Harvey and Margaret Sloan in Navarro County in 1924, "Buck" Sloan grew up with six siblings; he learned to play the guitar as a boy, and when his father was forced to sell the instrument to buy flour during the Great Depression, little Buck made one out of a cooking oil can in order to keep practicing; his grandfather then used his first pension check to buy him a $4.98 Silvertone guitar from Sears & Roebuck; the family later moved to Lufkin, where he began playing with a band called the East Texas Hay Rakers; and WHEREAS, Mr. Sloan was inducted into the U.S. Army in February 1943; a few weeks after the Normandy Landing, he was sent to help fill in the ranks of the Second Infantry Division, BCompany, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Squad; armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle, he fought in fierce battles to liberate the city of Brest; his canteen was shot off, his cheek was grazed by machine gun bullets, and men died all around him, but he forged on and captured a group of some 30 German soldiers; on December 18, 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, he was severely wounded by a German hand grenade; among numerous decorations, he received the Purple Heart, the French Legion of Honor, and five battle stars; and WHEREAS, Following his demobilization on July 14, 1945, Mr. Sloan returned home and began performing around Harris County with such bands as Dee Turner and the Serenaders and Art Stockwell & the Circle RRanch Hands; he eventually formed the Buckshots, and they became the house band at the Hitching Rail; many of the state's best musicians came to sit in when they were in town, among them members of the Bob Wills Band; later, the group did a four-year stint at the Jacinto City Opry; in 2011, Mr. Sloan and his wife, Shirley, opened their own dancehall, the Buckshot Jamboree, notable for both the music and their display of collectibles and memorabilia, including his beloved Silvertone; he was inducted into both the Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame and the Bandera Music History Project Hall of Fame; in 2022, he returned for the first time to France, where he was formally welcomed to the Normandy Victory Museum; he also hosted his 46th Annual Musician's Reunion in Bandera; and WHEREAS, Over the course of 99 years, Buck Sloan has bravely served his country and enriched the lives of innumerable people through his music, and he is a source of inspiration to all who are fortunate enough to know him; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate C. P. "Buck" Sloan on the occasion of his 99th birthday and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Sloan as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Dutton Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 2424 was adopted by the House on May 29, 2023, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House