Senate Resolution 110 - Introduced

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  1  1                SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2     BY  LARSON, ZAUN, ZIEMAN, MULDER, LUNDBY, WARD,
  1  3    BRUNKHORST, JOHNSON, BOETTGER, ANGELO, LAMBERTI,
  1  4   IVERSON, BEHN, GASKILL, McKINLEY, SEYMOUR, PUTNEY,
  1  5   TINSMAN, WIECK, HAHN, KETTERING, MILLER, McKIBBEN,
  1  6    WARNSTADT, BLACK, DOTZLER, HORN, RIELLY, HANCOCK,
  1  7     WOOD, SCHOENJAHN, KIBBIE, GRONSTAL, QUIRMBACH,
  1  8    CONNOLLY, STEWART, BEALL, RAGAN, HATCH, KREIMAN,
  1  9     DVORSKY, DANIELSON, DEARDEN, McCOY, and FRAISE
  1 10 A Resolution honoring Sergeant Major (Select) Brad Kasal
  1 11    for his rare courage and inspiring sacrifice in the
  1 12    Iraq war.
  1 13    WHEREAS, for over 200 years the Marines of the
  1 14 United States Marine Corps have been known for their
  1 15 bravery and devotion to duty; and
  1 16    WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Brad Kasal has proven his
  1 17 ability and displayed those qualities in serving our
  1 18 nation in Iraq; and
  1 19    WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Brad Kasal grew up on a
  1 20 farm near Afton, Iowa, hunted and fished as a kid,
  1 21 wrestled and played football in high school,
  1 22 detasseled corn and managed a restaurant to earn
  1 23 money; and
  1 24    WHEREAS, Sergeant Major Brad Kasal knew he wanted
  1 25 to be a Marine in the eighth grade, joined the Marine
  1 26 Corps straight out of East Union High School and
  1 27 excelled in marksmanship and physical fitness in boot
  1 28 camp; and
  1 29    WHEREAS, in his 20 years of military service,
  1 30 Sergeant Major Kasal did tours of duty in nearly 50
  2  1 foreign lands, including Operation Desert Storm in
  2  2 Kuwait, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and
  2  3 Operation Iraqi Freedom; and
  2  4    WHEREAS, during the early part of Operation Iraqi
  2  5 Freedom Sergeant Major Kasal earned a Purple Heart for
  2  6 wounds he suffered from enemy action but in his own
  2  7 words, he "gutted it out and kept going like a lot of
  2  8 Marines do", and he returned to duty and even
  2  9 volunteered for a second tour of duty because he was a
  2 10 leader and he felt he belonged with his young Marines;
  2 11 and
  2 12    WHEREAS, on November 13, 2004, during fierce
  2 13 fighting in Fallujah, Iraq, he vowed to leave no
  2 14 Marine behind, returned to save three wounded soldiers
  2 15 trapped in a house crawling with insurgents, received
  2 16 seven serious wounds from an automatic rifle, received
  2 17 40 shrapnel wounds from an exploding grenade when he
  2 18 shielded another Marine with his body and neglected
  2 19 his own injuries to treat his fellow soldier, lost 60
  2 20 percent of his body's blood without losing
  2 21 consciousness, and did all this while guarding the
  2 22 door and without loosening the grip on his gun; and
  2 23    WHEREAS, as a result of those wounds, Sergeant
  2 24 Major Kasal spent 35 days over the holidays bedridden
  2 25 and another 30 days at the Navy Hospital in Bethesda,
  2 26 Maryland, endured 20 surgeries and expects a full
  2 27 recovery because in his own words, "I'm a Kasal and
  2 28 we're tough"; and
  2 29    WHEREAS, in recognition for his heroism, sacrifice,
  2 30 and devotion to duty Sergeant Major Kasal is under
  3  1 consideration for the Congressional Medal of Honor,
  3  2 America's highest award for bravery; and
  3  3    WHEREAS, Iowa Families United for Our Troops and
  3  4 Their Mission stands with steadfast support for
  3  5 Sergeant Major Kasal and all men and women serving to
  3  6 protect the freedom for all Americans, for the
  3  7 families of our service men and women, and for the
  3  8 families of our fallen heroes; NOW THEREFORE,
  3  9    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate, on
  3 10 behalf of all 3 million fellow Iowans and Iowa
  3 11 Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission,
  3 12 honors Sergeant Major Brad Kasal for his "Iowa
  3 13 Toughness and Tenacity", his patriotic service to
  3 14 America, his devotion to the highest principles of
  3 15 military service, and his undaunted courage under
  3 16 hostile fire; and
  3 17    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That, upon adoption, an
  3 18 official copy of this Resolution be prepared for
  3 19 presentation to Sergeant Kasal so that he knows
  3 20 without a doubt that Iowans are proud of him and his
  3 21 fellow troops and look forward to welcoming him back
  3 22 home when his military service is concluded.
  3 23 LSB 5724XS 81
  3 24 jr:rj/sh/8