TITLE: In memory of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) W. L. Crouch of Rockport.

SUMMARY: In memory of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) W. L. Crouch of Rockport.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A rich and purposeful life drew to a close with the death of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) W. L. Crouch of Rockport on November 17, 2016, at the age of 91; and WHEREAS, "Babe" Crouch was born in Wilson, Oklahoma, on September 25, 1925, to Leo and Audrey Crouch, and grew up in Kilgore; in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and attended boot camp at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi; and WHEREAS, Over the course of his 30 years in the navy, Mr. Crouch steadily worked his way up through the ranks and served all over the world, including the South Pacific, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, the Azores, and Cuba; in the early 1960s, as a production and quality control officer, he worked on the Lunar Excursion Module later used in the Apollo moon missions, and he participated in research on the Polaris nuclear missile; he subsequently served off the coast of Vietnam aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown;and WHEREAS, Mr. Crouch's many commendations included the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal, among many others; he retired from the navy at the rank of lieutenant commander in 1973; and WHEREAS, That same year, Lieutenant Commander Crouch settled in Texas and joined the Navy League Sea Cadet Program, and he spent the rest of his life training young cadets in basic seamanship, self-reliance, leadership, and discipline; he served as Sea Cadet National Vice President, Southwest Field Representative, and commanding officer of the training ship Alamo,among other positions; in 1998, he received the Superior Public Service Award from the secretary of the navy, and in 2004, he was named an admiral in the Texas Navy; and WHEREAS, This distinguished officer married Lieutenant Commander Suzy Williams of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps in 2002; he took pride in a fine family that included his daughter, Cindy Crouch, and his stepdaughter, Roxanna Hott, as well as his wife's children and grandchildren; since his baptism in 2002, he had been an active member of First Baptist Church in Rockport; and WHEREAS, Lieutenant Commander Crouch possessed the courage and initiative that defined the finest members of his generation, and his exemplary service to his country will forever inspire all who had the privilege to know him; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Lieutenant Commander W. L. Crouch and extend sincere condolences to his family and friends; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of W. L. Crouch. Hunter Herrero Morrison Lozano Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 231 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on February 23, 2017. Chief Clerk of the House