Unofficial copy as of 06/25/16 12 reg. Sess. 12 Rs br 313

A RESOLUTION honoring Dakota Meyer upon receiving the Medal of Honor, our nation's highest award for valor.

WHEREAS, Dakota Meyer is the 86th living Medal of Honor recipient, the first living Marine recipient since the Vietnam War, and the third living recipient for heroic actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. He joins a small elite group of heroes; and

WHEREAS, President Barack Obama presented Dakota Meyer, a former Marine Sergeant, with the Medal of Honor in Washington, D.C., on September 15, 2011; and

WHEREAS, Dakota Meyer, of Greensburg, Kentucky, received the Medal of Honor for his acts of extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on September 8, 2009, when, over the course of a six hour fire-fight and without regard for his own personal safety, Dakota Meyer entered a kill zone five separate times to evacuate the wounded, recover the dead, provide essential aid, and ultimately save the lives of 13 U.S. service members and 23 Afghan soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Dakota Meyer is as humble as he is brave and after his valiant and heroic actions, he does not consider himself a hero. He gives the title of hero to "the men and women still serving and the guys who gave their lives for their country." He states that his Medal of Honor "honors the men who gave their lives that day and the men who were in that fight"; and

WHEREAS, when a White House staffer contacted Dakota Meyer to arrange the Medal of Honor ceremony, Meyer asked to have a private meeting with the President and requested that when he was honored, simultaneous commemorative services should be held at other associated locations to honor the memory of his colleagues who died or were mortally wounded during the ambush; and

WHEREAS, Dakota Meyer is a 2006 graduate of Green County High School where he played football. After graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corps; and

WHEREAS, Dakota Meyer completed basic training at Parris Island Recruit Training Depot, then was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq in 2007 as a Scout Sniper with 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines. In 2009 he volunteered to deploy to Kunar Province, Afghanistan to mentor Afghan soldiers with the Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7; and

WHEREAS, Dakota Meyer is a highly decorated Marine combat veteran. In addition to the Medal of Honor, his awards and decorations include the: Purple Heart Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat "V" device for valor, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with two bronze campaign stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with one bronze campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Medal ISAF Afghanistan, Rifle Expert Badge, and Pistol Expert Badge; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Kentucky has the highest respect for Dakota Meyer and is deeply grateful for the sacrifices he has made for the freedom of all Americans and the unwavering courage and steadfast devotion to his comrades that he displayed in the face of almost certain death;

NOW, THEREFORE,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:

Section 1. The House of Representatives is proud to recognize the patriotic service of Dakota Meyer to his country and does hereby honor and congratulate him upon receiving the Medal of Honor.

Section 2. When the House of Representatives adjourns this day, it does so in honor and recognition of Dakota Meyer.

Section 3. The Clerk of the House of Representatives is hereby directed to transmit a copy of this Resolution to Dakota Meyer, 1384 Brockman Keltner Road, Greensburg, Kentucky 42743.