| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution honoring the life and death of Sergeant |
| 3 | Michael D. Rowe. |
| 4 |
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| 5 | WHEREAS, Sergeant Michael D. Rowe, of New Port Richey, |
| 6 | Florida, died in Rutbah, Iraq, on March 28, 2006, one day before |
| 7 | his 24th birthday, and |
| 8 | WHEREAS, Sgt. Rowe, the only fatality of a roadside |
| 9 | explosion near his Humvee as he was leading a convoy during |
| 10 | combat operations, was assigned to the 46th Engineer Battalion, |
| 11 | Warrior Brigade, out of Fort Polk, Louisiana, and |
| 12 | WHEREAS, after graduating Gulf High School in 2001, Michael |
| 13 | enlisted in the National Guard, joined the United States Army |
| 14 | after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and only recently |
| 15 | reenlisted for another four years with plans to make the Army |
| 16 | his career, plans that ended abruptly when the sergeant became |
| 17 | the 116th soldier from Florida to give his life in Iraq, and |
| 18 | WHEREAS, it was not until shortly after Sgt. Rowe deployed |
| 19 | to Iraq in October 2005 to begin his second tour in support of |
| 20 | Operation Iraqi Freedom that his wife, Rebecca, learned she was |
| 21 | carrying their first child, news that grew increasingly exciting |
| 22 | as time revealed that a little girl, lovingly known to the young |
| 23 | couple as Nevaeh Elizabeth Rowe, "Heaven" spelled backward, is |
| 24 | expected to arrive on July 12, and |
| 25 | WHEREAS, on April 7, 2006, after his family was presented |
| 26 | with a purple heart and bronze star, Sergeant Michael D. Rowe |
| 27 | was laid to rest with full military honors in the Florida |
| 28 | National Cemetery near Bushnell, his grave marker bearing the |
| 29 | inscription that succinctly sums up the brief life of this |
| 30 | fallen hero: "He lived with Honor," NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 31 |
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| 32 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 33 | Florida: |
| 34 |
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| 35 | That, in a spirit of genuine gratitude mixed with sadness, |
| 36 | the House of Representatives proudly honors the life and death |
| 37 | of Sgt. Michael D. Rowe and extends its heartfelt condolences to |
| 38 | his wife, Rebecca, his parents, Dave and Marcy, his sisters, |
| 39 | Megan, Kellie Hess, and Danielle Rowe-Sumner, his extended |
| 40 | family, and the many, many friends and comrades who mourn his |
| 41 | death. |
| 42 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be |
| 43 | presented to Rebecca, wife of Sergeant Michael D. Rowe, as a |
| 44 | tangible token of the sentiments expressed herein. |