HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 884 Offered February 8, 2007 Commending Lance Corporal Thomas Surber. ---------- Patrons-- Hurt, Armstrong and Marshall, D.W.; Senator: Reynolds ----------

WHEREAS, United States Marines Corps Lance Corporal Thomas Surber of Martinsville, aged 20, is honored for his brave and faithful service to his fellow Marines and to all of the citizens of the Commonwealth and the nation, during his two tours in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; and

WHEREAS, based in Camp Lejeune, Lance Corporal Thomas "Cody" Surber is a proud member of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Echo Company, 4th Platoon, known as America’s Battalion and heralding the motto “Be ready for a fight, and fight to win!"; and

WHEREAS, serving in the military was Cody Surber’s dream even as a teenager, and he is a former cadet in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) and the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and a graduate of Martinsville High School, Class of 2004; and

WHEREAS, Lance Corporal Cody Surber enlisted in the Marine Corps as a 17-year-old with his father's signature and graduated from advanced combat and specialized training, which included Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) in preparation for his unit’s deployment to the “city fighting” environment of Iraq; and

WHEREAS, on October 22, 2006, Lance Corporal Cody Surber was on a routine foot patrol with fellow Marines in the Al Anbar region of Iraq, when his unit was suddenly struck by an insurgent improvised explosive device (IED); and

WHEREAS, though all of the Marines in the group were injured, Lance Corporal Cody Surber suffered the most severe injuries with his left foot needing extensive surgery and the right requiring amputation; and

WHEREAS, Lance Corporal Cody Surber was treated in a hospital in Germany, began recuperating and undergoing therapy, and was then flown to the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland on October 27, 2006, to receive further medial care; and

WHEREAS, a highly trained Marine with a nearly indefatigable spirit, Lance Corporal Cody Surber, in service to his country and in his personal life, exemplifies mental, moral, and physical strength, as well as the core values of honor, courage, and commitment attributed to the brave members of the United States Marines Corps; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of the Commonwealth recognize the tremendous personal sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of their military service and will be forever indebted to Lance Corporal Cody Surber for his valiant service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom on behalf of the nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and welcome home a greatly admired American hero and a patriotic Virginian, Lance Corporal Thomas Surber; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Lance Corporal Thomas Surber as an expression of the high esteem in which he is held by the members of the General Assembly and the citizens of the Commonwealth.