House Resolution 65

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE HONORABLE AND BRAVE LIFE OF MR. ANDREW JACKSON REESE AND EXPRESSING OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHY UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, when Mr. Andrew Jackson Reese, Jr., died at the age of 98, he took a rich history of battle in war and bravery with him; and

WHEREAS, his path to bravery began when the news reports of World War II surfaced and Mr. Reese did not wait to be drafted, but enlisted at the age of 30; and

WHEREAS, he was inducted at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, on June 13, 1942, arrived in France 36 hours after D-Day, and fought battles in Northern France and Shireland, France; and

WHEREAS, in 1944, Mr. Reese was wounded in the line of duty when artillery shell fragments penetrated his thigh; and

WHEREAS, although Mr. Reese was treated during a three-day stay at a military hospital, the shrapnel was never removed and he lived the remainder of his life with the shrapnel in his thigh; and

WHEREAS, on the third night of his return to battle in France, his battalion was captured by Germans, marched across the Rhine to a prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in Southern Germany and later to Northern Germany to a special interrogation camp; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Reese's endurance was tested while at the special interrogation camp, where he was thrown into a "black box" the size of a coffin for 10 days and given only three-fourths cup of coffee a day to drink; and

WHEREAS, once he was released from the "black box," he was given rations of three potatoes to eat every other day, and water was so scarce during his imprisonment that he had to catch rainwater to drink; and

WHEREAS, upon his return to the United States, Mr. Reese's bravery was recognized by the awards of a number of medals, such as, the Purple Heart Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, American Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Combat Infantryman Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Honorable Service Lapel Button with Carbine Bar and Expert Badge with Mortar Bar; and

WHEREAS, after the war, Mr. Reese studied law under the guidance of practicing attorneys so he could fulfill his strong desire to continue helping the citizens of this country; and

WHEREAS, as a result of his long hours of study, Mr. Reese passed the bar on March 10, 1947, and was one of the last people to pass the bar without going to college; and

WHEREAS, he practiced law in Quitman for 55 years, was the Municipal Judge for Quitman for 11 years, and was the Clarke County Board Attorney for 18 years; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Reese not only served the community legally, he was also an active member of the DeSoto Baptist Church and a 32nd Degree Mason of Scottish Rights; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and commend bravery and loyalty by citizens such as Mr. Reese:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the honorable and brave life of Mr. Andrew Jackson Reese and express deepest sympathy to his family upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mr. Andrew Jackson Reese and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.