In the Face of Adversity, Texans Come Together

My home state of Texas is strong and resilient. Texans aren’t people who tire easily, and we certainly don’t give up when the going gets tough. But that doesn’t mean that the State of Texas hasn’t faced its share of adversity. Over the last few weeks, the resolve of our great state has been tested with historic flooding that has taken at least 16 lives across Texas.

Among those 16 are nine young soldiers at Fort Hood – nine soldiers whose truck was overturned while crossing a flooded creek. Their lives were ended in that flooding. Their families have been torn asunder, not by combat losses far away. When brave young men and women sign up to defend this country, they expect, they understand the threat that enemies abroad might endanger them. But they shouldn’t be losing their lives here at home in a sudden and unexpected accident that took the lives of nine soldiers in an instant. Those nine soldiers should be remembered: Spc. Yingming Sun, Staff Sgt. Miguel Angel Colonvazquez, Spc. Christine Faith Armstrong, Pfc. Brandon Austin Banner, Pfc. Zachery Nathaniel Fuller, Pvt. Isaac Lee Deleon, Pvt. Eddy Raelaurin Gates, Pvt. Tysheena Lynette James, and Cadet Mitchell Alexander Winey.

All of us should remember those soldiers and every one of the soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines who risk their lives for us daily. Just yesterday, on a plane flight up from Texas, I had the pleasure of meeting again a young lieutenant who I had met in the hospital at Fort Hood in 2014. He had been shot in the chest with a .45 in that tragic shooting that occurred, and I must say it was so inspirational to see this young lieutenant healed, mobile, proudly serving his country and energized. That’s the spirit of our Armed Forces, and we should never forget their commitment to freedom.

Heidi and I right now, along with millions of Americans, are lifting up in prayer those Texans who have lost their lives, who have lost their homes, the families that are suffering due to this flooding.

And we’re also lifting up the first responders who so bravely risk everything to keep us safe. In particular, I want to take a moment to praise the Red Cross. I had the privilege yesterday of speaking with the CEO of the Red Cross to thank them directly for their efforts on the ground – helping people who are suffering, helping people who have lost their home, who are struggling. And you know, she and I shared what we’ve seen in tragedy after tragedy after tragedy, which is in the face of disaster, in the face of adversity, Texans and Americans come together.

There is a spirit of solidarity, a spirit of unity, that the worse the tragedy, the more we come together and help our friend and neighbor, help our sister and brother. And during these difficult times, Texans demonstrate that sharing spirit and we are thankful to the Americans across country who are lifting us up in prayer.

As the water continues to recede and the wreckage is being cleared, my office will continue to work very closely with local and state government officials, along with the entire Texas delegation, to help ensure a smooth recovery process, including offering, as I already have, my full support and assistance when Gov. Abbott requests federal aid for those afflicted by this disaster. And while Texas continues to rebound from these torrential floods, our nation is also flooded with circumstances that require the very same strength and resolve that we face in the face of tragedy.