House Bill 1893er
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
ENROLLED
1998 Legislature HB 1893
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2 An act relating to designation of state
3 buildings; designating a state veterans'
4 nursing home in Land O' Lakes, Pasco County, as
5 the "Baldomero Lopez State Veterans' Nursing
6 Home"; providing an effective date.
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8 WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs is
9 in the process of constructing a second state veterans'
10 nursing home in Land O' Lakes, Pasco County, Florida, and
11 WHEREAS, a committee chaired by Representative Mike
12 Fasano and committee members Senator Jack Latvala,
13 Hillsborough County Commissioner Chris Hart, Pasco County
14 Commissioner Ed Collins, Hernando County Commissioner Ray
15 Lossing, Pasco County Veterans' Service Officer Fred Harrop,
16 and Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs General Counsel
17 Ron Frankel considered nominations from the public for naming
18 the new state veterans' nursing home, and
19 WHEREAS, the name of First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez,
20 a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, was placed in
21 nomination and unanimously selected by the committee as the
22 recommended name of the new state veterans' nursing home, and
23 WHEREAS, First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, U.S. Marine
24 Corps, grew up in Tampa, Florida, and graduated from
25 Hillsborough High School, and
26 WHEREAS, after graduation, Baldomero Lopez entered the
27 U.S. Navy and was selected for an appointment at the U.S.
28 Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he graduated in
29 the upper third of his class, and was commissioned in the U.S.
30 Marine Corps, and
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ENROLLED
1998 Legislature HB 1893
1 WHEREAS, First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez was awarded
2 the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds on
3 September 15, 1950, the day on which he gave his life for his
4 country, and
5 WHEREAS, in action against enemy aggressor forces
6 during the Inchon Invasion in Korea on September 15, 1950,
7 First Lieutenant Lopez was leading his platoon against enemy
8 beach defenses, and
9 WHEREAS, exposing himself to hostile fire, he moved
10 forward alongside a bunker and prepared to throw a hand
11 grenade into the next pillbox, whose fire was pinning down his
12 sector of the beach, and
13 WHEREAS, taken under fire by an enemy automatic weapon
14 and hit in the right shoulder and chest as he lifted his arm
15 to throw the grenade, he fell backward and dropped the deadly
16 missile, and
17 WHEREAS, after a moment, he turned and dragged his body
18 forward in an effort to retrieve the grenade and throw it, and
19 WHEREAS, in critical condition from pain and loss of
20 blood, and unable to grasp the hand grenade firmly enough to
21 hurl it, he chose to sacrifice himself, rather than endanger
22 the lives of his men, and with a sweeping motion of his
23 wounded right arm, cradled the grenade under him and absorbed
24 the full impact of the explosion, and
25 WHEREAS, for his exceptional courage, fortitude, and
26 devotion to duty, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of
27 Honor, NOW, THEREFORE,
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29 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
ENROLLED
1998 Legislature HB 1893
1 Section 1. The State Veterans' Nursing Home in Land O'
2 Lakes, Pasco County, Florida, is hereby designated as the
3 "Baldomero Lopez State Veterans' Nursing Home" in honor of
4 First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez.
5 Section 2. The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs
6 is directed to erect appropriate markers designating the State
7 Veterans' Nursing Home in Land O' Lakes as the "Baldomero
8 Lopez State Veterans' Nursing Home."
9 Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
10 law.
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