Travis County Commissioners Court
October 19, 2004
Item 2
Number 2 is to approve resolution honoring the late marine languages corporal
nicholas samuel valdez perez for distinguished and heroic military service
in iraq. And we do have several family members who have come to receive this
today. And you all are welcome to be seated here or to stand around the table.
Ms. Brown, a county employee, and I believe if other county members would
like to sit. It reads: whereas [indiscernible] this fellow man lay down his
life for his country is a para phrase of a biblical skip tour. On September
3, 2004, lance -- marine lance corporal nicklaus samuel valdez perez was killed
in action in iraq's al-umbar province. Whereas he accomplished many things
in a life that was too brief and an early age he expressed a keen interest
in serving his country and began grooming himself in participating in activities
that developed uncommon discipline including altar boy, Texas beach coast
cleanup and boy scouts where he earned many awards leading up to the merit
life badge and the rotc. Nicklaus was an avid and gifted athlete with special
talents for baseball, golf and football. Whereas nicklaus joined the united
states marine corps in July 2003 and excelled right from the start. His devotion,
commitment and performance were exemplary. He served this country with courage,
dignity and valor. He was awarded an expert rifle man badge, a global terrorism
medal, national defense medal and the purple heart. Whereas a humble and righteous
young man he was loved and appreciated and was a special gift to his mother
yolanda valdez, father samuel perez, sister u.s. Marine lance corporal brianna
perez. His grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, former instructors and numerous
friends. And whereas to the family we say may you find some measure of comfort
in god's message to us in second kreupb thee kwrapb's 5 and 8. We are confident
in willing to say to be absent with the body and present with the lord. Be
it resolved the Travis County Commissioners court proclaim October 19th, 2004,
as marine lance corporal nicklaus samuel valdez perez day in Travis County,
Texas and ask all residents of Travis County to join us in extending heartfelt
sympathy to this bee raoefd family and express our admiration and gratitude
for such an astonishingly brave young man. Move approval.
>> second.
>> good morning.
>> good morning.
>> thank you, judge Biscoe and Commissioners. The family
asked me to introduce them. They sincerely appreciate you taking the time
for this acknowledgement of nicklaus' life. When I was preparing for this
proclamation, it was one of the most difficult things i've ever done in my
life. I didn't want to rewrite the obituary so we wanted to honor him by precious
things in his life. And those are going to be the things that are going to
sustain you through this. He has several friends and family members here and
they can speak for themselves, but elementary school principal ed leo. Ed
can speak with you. Also commander jim o'leary, a friend of the family. He
is also -- he's a 30-year retired marine. But also works for the Austin police
department at this time. Family members, of course his mother, yolanda and
his daddy sam, samuel. Tim is from -- he's all the way here from california
to be with us today. He was in his unit. A twentynine palms and he will here
just for today. I'll let them speak. Yolanda, did you want to have something
to say?
>> judge Biscoe, Commissioners, on behalf of our family,
thank you for honoring our son nicklaus [inaudible]. It changed our lives
forever. [inaudible] a perfect son had made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.
It has been a difficult time for all of us, but we continue to concentrate
and celebrating his life the way in which he lived. Great honors given by
individuals who care, which is yourself, help us keep this memory alive. Nicklaus
was a proud marine and we're very proud of him. Thank you.
>> thank you very much.
>> nicklaus was a student at sanchez elementary school in
Austin i.s.d. And I was the principalal sanchez and he will always be remembered
as a be student that was there to learn. I never saw him in the office because
he was misbehaving or he was in trouble. To the contrary, when I saw nicklaus,
it was because of his achievement and his accomplishments in learning. He
will always be in our memory. Thank you.
>> good morning, sir. I’m tim collins, nick's company commander
in iraq. I was over there with him for seven months. I can tell you firsthand
that nick was the epitome of what a marine should be, brave, ready and willing,
committed to his brothers that loved him, that he loved, and that -- well,
amongst marines to say this that we will kill or die for each other at the
drop of a hat. That's the kind of man nick was. He joined the marine corps
after September 11th and he knew what he was getting himself into. He joined
the marines, he joined the infantry and came to the 3rd battalion and 7th
marines and went to iraq. I was honored to be his commander and I’m sorry
that he's not with us today. But we say in the marines that for tonner of
the dead -- for the honor of the dead -- sorry, for the glory of the dead
-- I can't pull it off. But the bottom line is this, is that the marines will
honor nick best through our actions. That we're going back to afghanistan
here, our next unit is going back in a few months and we'll do nick proud,
and nick's sacrifice will not be forgotten, was not in vein. Thank you.
>> thank you. Anybody else? [inaudible] valdez used to be
clerk of the Commissioners court. He was nicklaus' aunt. Thank you. Good to
see you again.
>> the family would like to take a picture of you all.
>> okay. He died at a young age and many of us did not have
a chance to meet him, but we certainly appreciate his ultimate sacrifice and
because of his sacrifice the rest of us of live in a free and better country
and world. All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> what I wanted to simply say was thank you for your sacrifice
for freedom as well, and this comes as an appropriate time. We're in the middle
of elections, and because we have the freedom to do so without anyone forcing
us to do anything that we don't want to, and it's that sacrifice by people
like nicklaus and you, thank you for your service as well. And thank you for
keeping us free.
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Last Modified: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 3:34 PM