2007-2008 Bill 497: Sergeant Buddy Hughie - South Carolina Legislature Online

1 South Carolina General Assembly 2 117th Session, 2007-2008 3 4 S. 497 5 6 STATUS INFORMATION 7 8 Senate Resolution 9 Sponsors: Senator McConnell 10 Document Path: l:\s-res\gfm\001budd.mrh.doc 11 12 Introduced in the Senate on February 28, 2007 13 Adopted by the Senate on February 28, 2007 14 15 Summary: Sergeant Buddy Hughie 16 17 18 HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 19 20 Date Body Action Description with journal page number 21 2/28/2007 Senate Introduced and adopted SJ-13 22 23 24 VERSIONS OF THIS BILL 25 26 2/28/2007 27 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A SENATE RESOLUTION 10 11 TO EXPRESS THE PROFOUND SORROW OF THE 12 MEMBERS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE UPON THE 13 DEATH OF SERGEANT BUDDY HUGHIE WHO LOST HIS 14 LIFE WHILE ADMIRABLY SERVING HIS COUNTRY IN 15 AFGHANISTAN, AND TO CONVEY DEEPEST SYMPATHY 16 TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. 17 18 Whereas, Sergeant Buddy James Hughie was a superior soldier 19 and even greater individual, who took great pride in serving his 20 country, was killed on February 19, 2007, by small-arms fire in 21 Nuristan Province in northeast Afghanistan; and 22 23 Whereas, while his life was tragically cut short, he will always be 24 remembered as a testament to the best America had to offer by 25 faithfully executing his duties, serving his country, and honoring 26 his family with the utmost grace, respect, and courage; and 27 28 Whereas, Sgt. Hughie was a member of the 1st Battalion, 180th 29 Infantry with the Oklahoma National Guard. His unit was a part of 30 a joint mission with the Afghan National Army and the U.S. 31 Army’s 10th Mountain Division, a joint mission to train and mentor 32 soldiers in the new Afghan National Army; and 33 34 Whereas, while returning from an operation, the joint force came 35 under enemy small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire; and 36 37 Whereas, Sgt. Hughie and his team got out of their vehicles and 38 returned fire. It was during the firefight that two Afghan army 39 soldiers were wounded; and 40

1 [497] 1 1 Whereas, seeing his fellow comrades hurt, Hughie left his covered 2 position to provide medical assistance to them, and in the process 3 of his rescue, was shot and killed; and 4 5 Whereas, it was Sgt. Hughie’s dedication to the mission and his 6 fellow 1st Battalion, 180th Infantry soldiers that led him back to the 7 front lines; and 8 9 Whereas, Hughie did not have to deploy with the 180th because he 10 had previously been deployed to Afghanistan in 2002-2003 with 11 an Engineer unit in the South Carolina National Guard; and 12 13 Whereas, described by friends as someone, “who would do 14 anything for anybody,” his entrance into the military came as no 15 surprise. As a child growing up in Poteau, Oklahoma, his passion 16 for the military was articulated in his lifelong zeal for military 17 history and books about special forces units; and 18 19 Whereas, Sgt. Hughie was known for selfless acts. After 20 Hurricane Katrina, then Specialist Hughie was in New Orleans 21 with the 1st Battalion, 180th Infantry, and found and rescued a 22 woman near death. It was due to his efforts that the woman 23 survived; and 24 25 Whereas, the heroic Sgt. Buddy Hughie leaves behind a wife, 26 Alexis, and three-month-old son, Cooper. Now, therefore, 27 28 Be it resolved by the Senate: 29 30 That the members of the Senate, by this resolution, express the 31 profound sorrow of the members of the Senate upon the death of 32 Sergeant Buddy Hughie who lost his life while admirably serving 33 his country in Afghanistan, and to convey the deepest sympathy to 34 his family and friends, as he will be genuinely missed. 35 36 Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to 37 Mrs. Alexis Hughie and her son, Cooper Hughie. 38 ----XX---- 39

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