Senator Bill Sharer

For Immediate Release Friday, September 9, 2011 Contact: 505-986-4702


September 11th Declared US Army Ranger Sgt. 1st Class Leroy A. Petry Day in the State Senate


Santa Fe--The New Mexico State Senate today passed a Senate Memorial declaring Sunday, September 11, 2001 as “United States Army Ranger First Class Leroy A. Petry Day at the Senate.”

Sgt. 1st Class Petry, who is originally from Santa Fe, received the medal of honor from the President at the White House on July 9, 2011 for his heroic actions on May 26, 2008 when his unit was pinned down by heavy enemy fire during a rare Army Ranger daytime raid in Afghanistan. Sgt. 1st Class Petry was already shot and wounded in both legs when he tossed away from harming his unit an enemy grenade that detonated in his hand as he released it, blowing off his right hand.

Senator Bill Sharer of Farmington, who is a former U.S. Army Ranger - said on the Senate floor today that Sgt.1st Class Petry is living up to its motto.

‘The Army Ranger motto originated in World War II after a colonel ordered the 5th Ranger Battalion to get all soldiers off Normandy Beach and commanded “Rangers Lead the Way.” That became the motto and Sgt.1st Class Petry has lived up to the Ranger motto, “Rangers Lead the Way,” Senator Sharer said.

Senate Memorial 2 shows all 42 New Mexico State Senators and the Lt. Governor voting in favor of the memorial declaring September 11, 2011 as his day in the New Mexico State Senate.

The Senate is still waiting to hear if Sgt. 1st Class Petry is able to arrange his schedule to return to New Mexico to be honored by the Senate next week. Members of Sgt.1st Class Petry’s family have acknowledged they will be able to attend a Senate session next week.-END-