SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 3065

    Amendment No.    

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11  Senator Latvala moved the following amendment:

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13         Senate Amendment 

14         On page 3, between lines 9 and 10,

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16  insert:

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18         WHEREAS, the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs is

19  in the process of constructing a second state veterans'

20  nursing home in Land O' Lakes, Pasco County, Florida, and

21         WHEREAS, a committee chaired by Representative Mike

22  Fasano and committee members Senator Jack Latvala,

23  Hillsborough County Commissioner Chris Hart, Pasco County

24  Commissioner Ed Collins, Hernando County Commissioner Ray

25  Lossing, Pasco County Veterans' Service Officer Fred Harrop,

26  and Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs General Counsel

27  Ron Frankel considered nominations from the public for naming

28  the new state veterans' nursing home, and

29         WHEREAS, the name of First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez,

30  a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, was placed in

31  nomination and unanimously selected by the committee as the

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 3065

    Amendment No.    





 1  recommended name of the new state veterans' nursing home, and

 2         WHEREAS, First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez, U.S. Marine

 3  Corps, grew up in Tampa, Florida, and graduated from

 4  Hillsborough High School, and

 5         WHEREAS, after graduation, Baldomero Lopez entered the

 6  U.S. Navy and was selected for an appointment at the U.S.

 7  Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he graduated in

 8  the upper third of his class, and was commissioned in the U.S.

 9  Marine Corps, and

10         WHEREAS, First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez was awarded

11  the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds on

12  September 15, 1950, the day on which he gave his life for his

13  country, and

14         WHEREAS, in action against enemy aggressor forces

15  during the Inchon Invasion in Korea on September 15, 1950,

16  First Lieutenant Lopez was leading his platoon against enemy

17  beach defenses, and

18         WHEREAS, exposing himself to hostile fire, he moved

19  forward alongside a bunker and prepared to throw a hand

20  grenade into the next pillbox, whose fire was pinning down his

21  sector of the beach, and

22         WHEREAS, taken under fire by an enemy automatic weapon

23  and hit in the right shoulder and chest as he lifted his arm

24  to throw the grenade, he fell backward and dropped the deadly

25  missile, and

26         WHEREAS, after a moment, he turned and dragged his body

27  forward in an effort to retrieve the grenade and throw it, and

28         WHEREAS, in critical condition from pain and loss of

29  blood, and unable to grasp the hand grenade firmly enough to

30  hurl it, he chose to sacrifice himself, rather than endanger

31  the lives of his men, and with a sweeping motion of his

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS/HB 3065

    Amendment No.    





 1  wounded right arm, cradled the grenade under him and absorbed

 2  the full impact of the explosion, and

 3         WHEREAS, for his exceptional courage, fortitude, and

 4  devotion to duty, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of

 5  Honor,

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