2005 Senate Joint Resolution 66
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: life and military service of Private First Class Anthony "Alex" Gaunky.
Whereas, Private First Class Anthony "Alex" Gaunky, of Sparta, Wisconsin, was born on August 13, 1986, and died on November 18, 2005, following injuries sustained after an attack during combat operations near Beyji, Iraq; and
Whereas, PFC Gaunky served with honor and distinction as a combat engineer, in the 3rd Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, stationed in Iraq as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom; and
Whereas, he graduated from Sparta High School in 2004, where he played French horn in the school band, was a member of the chess club, managed the Spartans football team, and was voted the best dancer in his graduating class; and
Whereas, following graduation, PFC Gaunky fulfilled a childhood dream and enlisted with the army, reflecting his family's valued tradition of service to the country as set forth by his 3 older brothers, Adam Gaunky, a naval petty officer serving aboard the USS Tarawa, Donleigh Gaunky, a sergeant serving with the army's 18th Airborne, and Robert Gaunky, a naval signalman recently discharged from the USS Anchorage; and
Whereas, PFC Gaunky valued time with family and friends bicycling on the Elroy-Sparta and La Crosse River trails, as well as fishing for trout and bluegills in Stillwell Lake at Fort McCoy; and
Whereas, PFC Gaunky was never one to allow obstacles to stand in his way of achieving goals, whether it was scaling the climbing wall in the field house at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at age 10 or tracking down a DVD box set of Monty Python, of which he was an avid fan, while stationed in Iraq; and
Whereas, PFC Gaunky continued his life of service to others even in death, by donating his heart to an 11-year-old girl in Germany; and
Whereas, Alex believed in the just cause of bringing liberty to the people of Iraq, through his enduring spirit in the hope that they would one day be able to embrace the freedom of the life that he so cherished; and
Whereas, he will forever be remembered as a true hero by those who knew him and for his patriotism, determination, selflessness, and love for his family and friends; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature, on behalf of a grateful state, honor Private First Class Anthony "Alex" Gaunky for his noble service to our country and extend their condolences to his family and friends; and, be it further
Resolved, That the senate chief clerk shall provide a copy of this joint resolution to Private First Class Gaunky's mother, Lori Friske; father, David Gaunky; and to his brothers, Adam Gaunky, Donleigh Gaunky, and Robert Gaunky.
