House Resolution 117 - Introduced
PAG LIN
1 1 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY TYMESON, QUIRK, BAUDLER, EICHHORN, HUTTER,
1 3 HUSEMAN, CHAMBERS, TJEPKES, ALONS, WATTS, DE BOEF,
1 4 FREEMAN, CARROLL, TOMENGA, RAYHONS, BOAL, DIX,
1 5 PAULSEN, UPMEYER, DOLECHECK, J.R. VAN FOSSEN,
1 6 ELGIN, ROBERTS, ARNOLD, HORBACH, VAN ENGELENHOVEN,
1 7 KURTENBACH, SCHICKEL, SANDS, S. OLSON, JENKINS,
1 8 MAY, LALK, RASMUSSEN, ANDERSON, SODERBERG, GIPP,
1 9 J.K. VAN FOSSEN, LUKAN, JACOBS, HOFFMAN, STRUYK,
1 10 GREINER, GRANZOW, D. TAYLOR, PETTENGILL, BERRY,
1 11 HUNTER, WENDT, THOMAS, COHOON, DANDEKAR, MERTZ,
1 12 BELL, DAVITT, SWAIM, KUHN, PETERSEN, MASCHER,
1 13 WINCKLER, JOCHUM, LENSING, SMITH, FREVERT,
1 14 D. OLSON, GASKILL, WESSEL=KROESCHELL, SHOMSHOR,
1 15 REASONER, SCHUELLER, WHITEAD, SHOULTZ, REICHERT,
1 16 WHITAKER, and RAECKER
1 17 A Resolution honoring Sergeant Major (Select) Brad Kasal
1 18 for his rare courage and inspiring sacrifice in the
1 19 Iraq war.
1 20 WHEREAS, for over 200 years the Marines of the
1 21 United States Marine Corps have been known for their
1 22 bravery and devotion to duty; and
1 23 WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Brad Kasal has proven his
1 24 ability and displayed those qualities in serving our
1 25 nation in Iraq; and
1 26 WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Brad Kasal grew up on a
1 27 farm near Afton, Iowa, hunted and fished as a kid,
1 28 wrestled and played football in high school,
1 29 detasseled corn and managed a restaurant to earn
1 30 money; and
2 1 WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Brad Kasal knew he wanted
2 2 to be a Marine in the eighth grade, joined the Marine
2 3 Corps straight out of East Union High School and
2 4 excelled in marksmanship and physical fitness in boot
2 5 camp; and
2 6 WHEREAS, in his 20 years of military service,
2 7 Sergeant Major Kasal did tours of duty in nearly 50
2 8 foreign lands, including Operation Desert Storm in
2 9 Kuwait, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and
2 10 Operation Iraqi Freedom; and
2 11 WHEREAS, during the early part of Operation Iraqi
2 12 Freedom Sergeant Major Kasal earned a Purple Heart for
2 13 wounds he suffered from enemy action but in his own
2 14 words, he "gutted it out and kept going like a lot of
2 15 Marines do", and he returned to duty and even
2 16 volunteered for a second tour of duty because he was a
2 17 leader and he felt he belonged with his young Marines;
2 18 and
2 19 WHEREAS, on November 13, 2004, during fierce
2 20 fighting in Fallujah, Iraq, he vowed to leave no
2 21 Marine behind, returned to save three wounded soldiers
2 22 trapped in a house crawling with insurgents, received
2 23 seven serious wounds from an automatic rifle, received
2 24 40 shrapnel wounds from an exploding grenade when he
2 25 shielded another Marine with his body and neglected
2 26 his own injuries to treat his fellow soldier, lost 60
2 27 percent of his body's blood without losing
2 28 consciousness, and did all this while guarding the
2 29 door and without loosening the grip on his gun; and
2 30 WHEREAS, as a result of those wounds, Sergeant
3 1 Major Kasal spent 35 days over the holidays bedridden
3 2 and another 30 days at the Navy Hospital in Bethesda,
3 3 Maryland, endured 20 surgeries and expects a full
3 4 recovery because in his own words, "I'm a Kasal and
3 5 we're tough"; and
3 6 WHEREAS, in recognition for his heroism, sacrifice,
3 7 and devotion to duty Sergeant Major Kasal is under
3 8 consideration for the Congressional Medal of Honor,
3 9 America's highest award for bravery; and
3 10 WHEREAS, Iowa Families United for Our Troops and
3 11 Their Mission stands with steadfast support for
3 12 Sergeant Major Kasal and all men and women serving to
3 13 protect the freedom for all Americans, for the
3 14 families of our service men and women, and for the
3 15 families of our fallen heroes; NOW THEREFORE,
3 16 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
3 17 That the House of Representatives, on behalf of all 3
3 18 million fellow Iowans and Iowa Families United for Our
3 19 Troops and Their Mission, honors Sergeant Major Brad
3 20 Kasal for his "Iowa Toughness and Tenacity", his
3 21 patriotic service to America, his devotion to the
3 22 highest principles of military service, and his
3 23 undaunted courage under hostile fire; and
3 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That, upon adoption, an
3 25 official copy of this Resolution be prepared for
3 26 presentation to Sergeant Kasal so that he knows
3 27 without a doubt that Iowans are proud of him and his
3 28 fellow troops and look forward to welcoming him back
3 29 home when his military service is concluded.
3 30 LSB 5724HH 81
4 1 jr:rj/sh/8
1