Mark Hasse, Mike and Cynthia McLelland among recipients of Star of Texas Award

"The Texans we honor here today are the best our state has to offer - people for whom honor, courage and dedication are a way of life. They're the people we can always count on in a crisis," said Governor Perry. "But this noble service carries with it a great element of danger. The individuals we've lost over the past year were part of a higher calling, and like the other honorees here with us today, helped make Texas a safer, stronger and better place to live."

Posthumously receiving a Special Recognition award were Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, who were gunned down in their home in March, 2013, following the murder of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse. Former Justice of the Peace Eric Williams and his wife Kim were later arrested and charged with capital murder in both incidents.

Among many others, the ceremony also recognized twelve first responders who gave their lives rushing to fight a fire in West, Texas, which later triggered a massive fertilizer plant explosion.

This year's award recipients were, as follows:

SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Michael E. McLelland, Kaufman County District Attorney
Cynthia McLelland

CITIZENS' STAR OF TEXAS AWARDS
Terry J. Taylor, Bellaire Police Department
Jimmy R. Matus, West Volunteer Fire Department
William R. Uptmor Jr, West Volunteer Fire Department

EMERGENCY MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Mark A. Mirelez, Robstown EMS

FIRE FIGHTERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Jerry D. Chapman, Abbott Volunteer Fire Department
Kevin Sanders, Bruceville-Eddy Volunteer Fire Department
Gregory W. Pickard, Bryan Fire Department
Frank E. Wallace, Bryan Fire Department
Cyrus A. Reed, Bynum and Elm Mott Volunteer Fire Departments
Kenneth "Lucky" Harris Jr, Dallas Fire-Rescue
Stanley A. Wilson, Dallas Fire-Rescue
Robert Bebee, Houston Fire Department
Robert Garner, Houston Fire Department
Matthew Renaud, Houston Fire Department
Anne Sullivan, Houston Fire Department
Jalen S. Smith, Jackson Heights Volunteer Fire Department
Perry W. Calvin, Navarro Mills Volunteer Fire Department
Larry Nelson, Val Verde Co. Rural Volunteer Fire Department
Morris W. Bridges Jr, West Volunteer Fire Department
Cody F. Dragoo, West Volunteer Fire Department
Joey F. Pustejovsky Jr, West Volunteer Fire Department
Douglas J. Snokhous, West Volunteer Fire Department
Robert Snokhous, West Volunteer Fire Department

PEACE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Craig G. Story, Arlington Police Department
Bryan M. Hebert, Beaumont Police Department
Jimmie D. Norman, Bellaire Police Department
Brian D. Bachmann, Brazos County Constable Precinct 1
Angel D. Garcia, El Paso Police Department
Jonathan K. Molina, El Paso Police Department
Chad C. Key, Grayson County Sheriff's Office
Jaime J. Zapata, Homeland Security Investigations
Lance A. McLean, Hood County Sheriff's Office
Mark E. Hasse, Kaufman County District Attorney's Office
D. Robert-Martin Harvey, Lubbock County Sheriff's Office
Larry D. Candelari, Pasadena Police Department
Jesse T. Hamilton, Pasadena Police Department
Joshua S. Mitchell, Reagan County Sheriff's Office
Edrees Mukhtar, San Antonio Police Department
William J. Sprague, Texarkana Police Department
Joshua S. Williams, Waxahachie Police Department

FIRE FIGHTERS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Ricky D. Mantey Jr, Bryan Fire Department
Mitchel S. Moran, Bryan Fire Department
Cameron E. Veitch, Community Volunteer Fire Department
Johnnie J.D. Johnson, Corpus Christi Fire Department
William Dowling, Houston Fire Department
Anthony Livesay, Houston Fire Department
Foster Santos, Houston Fire Department
Robert Yarbrough, Houston Fire Department

PEACE OFFICERS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Toby W. Douglass, Arlington Police Department
Kenneth C. Casaday, Austin Police Department
Mandi L. Novak, Austin Police Department
Jared S. Ralston, Austin Police Department
Patricia M. Valdez, Austin Police Department
Jose L. Esquivel, Bexar County Sheriff's Office
Justin C. Oehlke, College Station Police Department
Watt Carroll Jr, Dallas Police Department
Samuel B. Hussey, Dallas Police Department
Matthew J. Wagner, Dallas Police Department
Perry S. Kram, Fayette County Sheriff's Office
Josh R. Bell, Fort Worth Police Department
Chad W. Davis, Granbury Police Department
Roland E. Dahlin III, Harris County Constable Precinct 4
Leigh Ann Snyder, Longview Police Department
Hector Camarillo, Madisonville Police Department
James H. Boyd, Montague County Sheriff's Office
Michael R. Huffman, Pasadena Police Department
Troy W. Clark, Texas Department of Public Safety
Kent A. Coleman, Texas Department of Public Safety
David R. Cramer, Texas Department of Public Safety
Germaine C. Gaspard, Texas Department of Public Safety
Robert J. Sims, Texas Department of Public Safety
Arthur Senteno, Washington County Sheriff's Office