H.R. No. 96

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, U.S. Army Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña of Newgulf
	gave his life to save his fellow soldiers during the Korean War, and
	his heroism was posthumously recognized with the bestowal of a
	Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on March 18, 2014; and
	WHEREAS, Born on November 6, 1924, Mike Peña was the son of
	Mexican immigrants Miguel and Maria Peña; in 1940, two months shy of
	his 16th birthday, he enlisted in the army in Houston after
	misrepresenting his age to recruiters; he was assigned to the 5th
	Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, and received training at
	Fort Clark in Brackettville and Fort Bliss in El Paso; just a year
	after his induction into the service, the Japanese surprise attack
	on Pearl Harbor precipitated the United States' entry into World
	War II; and
	WHEREAS, Deployed to the Pacific theater in 1943, Sergeant
	Peña fought to liberate the Philippines from Japanese forces and
	later took part in the occupation of Japan with members of his
	division; he received an honorable discharge on October 3, 1945,
	and reenlisted the same day; a month earlier, on September 5, he had
	married his sweetheart, the former Aurora Lola Urenda, and their
	life together would be enriched by the birth of two sons, Michael
	David and Frederick William; for a time, the family resided at Camp
	McGill in occupied Japan before moving to Camp Carson in Colorado;
	and
	WHEREAS, In late June 1950, the U.S. military was again
	called upon when soldiers from communist North Korea invaded South
	Korea; Sergeant Peña volunteered to return to action, rejoining the
	5th Cavalry Regiment, and participated in an amphibious landing at
	P'ohang-dong, Korea, in July 1950; the 1st Cavalry Division was
	ordered to defend a 35-mile sector along the Nakdong River, which
	became the scene of intense fighting as enemy combatants pushed
	from the north; and
	WHEREAS, On September 4, 1950, Sergeant Peña and
	his platoon
	were posted near Waegwan, when a North Korean Army battalion
	emerged only yards away, having advanced under the shroud of
	darkness and mist; the platoon opened fire but was caught off-guard
	by the attack and was forced to withdraw; Sergeant Peña swiftly
	rallied his troops and led them in a counterattack that succeeded in
	regaining their lost ground; and
	WHEREAS, Sergeant Peña and his men then established a
	defensive perimeter and attempted to repel the North Koreans'
	repeated assaults, but the enemy enjoyed an overwhelming numerical
	advantage; when the platoon's ammunition supply began to dwindle,
	Sergeant Peña commanded his men to fall back and seized a machine
	gun to provide cover for the retreating troops; making a heroic
	stand, he held back the enemy singlehandedly until the early
	morning hours, when his position was overrun and he was fatally
	wounded; he died at the age of 25, on the date of his fifth wedding
	anniversary; and
	WHEREAS, The outstanding service that Sergeant Peña rendered
	over the course of his military career brought him numerous
	decorations and awards, including the Distinguished Service Cross,
	which was conferred posthumously, the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple
	Heart with two oak leaf clusters, and the Army Good Conduct Medal
	with bronze clasp and two loops; Sergeant Peña was buried with full
	military honors at Cedarvale Cemetery in Bay City; and
	WHEREAS, For his extraordinary gallantry and immeasurable
	sacrifice, Americans owe Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña a debt that
	the passage of time can never diminish; his actions represent the
	proudest tradition of service to country, and he is indeed
	deserving of our nation's supreme award for valor; now, therefore,
	be it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
	Legislature hereby commemorate the posthumous presentation of the
	Medal of Honor to Master Sergeant Mike C. Peña; 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 Master
	Sergeant Mike C. Peña.
	Stephenson
	Anderson of McLennan
	Israel
	Keough
	King of Uvalde
	Miller of Fort Bend
	Spitzer
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 96 was adopted by the House on
	February 19, 2015, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House