Committee Substitute

for

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 33

(By Senators Lindsay, Jeffries, Nelson, Takubo, Stollings, and Phillips)

[Originating in the Committee on Rules; reported March 10, 2022]

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 20-077/00-089.68 (20A625), (38.24249,-81.56771), locally known as MARMET BR, carrying I-77 over 98th Street in Marmet in Kanawha County, the “U. S. Army SGT Lewis M. ‘Mike’ Totten Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, Lewis Malcolm “Mike” Totten was born on August 25, 1949, the son of the late Charlotte and Roy Totten; and

Whereas, Lewis M. “Mike” Totten, a native of Marmet, was a graduate of East Bank High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies Education from the University of Charleston, taking courses at night over a ten-year period while working full time at E.I. DuPont in Belle; and

Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten served in the U.S. Army from 1969 to 1971, rising to the rank of E5 Sergeant. SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten served in combat in Vietnam from March 1970 to March 1971, as part of the “air cavalry,” 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, until wounded in combat, for which he has reportedly received the Purple Heart.  He then served in the corps-level U.S. Army Republic of Vietnam (USARV) and was part of the intelligence-counterintelligence Phoenix Program; and

Whereas, After returning home from military service, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten was a bridge inspector for the State of West Virginia; and

Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten was also a certified public school teacher, master electrician, pipefitter, and boilermaker; and

Whereas, Collaborating with former Senator Tod Kaufman, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten advocated for the successful Senate resolution that led to the creation of what later became the West Virginia Veterans Memorial at the State Capitol Complex. Both met with and secured the support of Governor Arch Moore, Jr. on the issue of a state Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which later became an all-wars memorial. He later helped secure one of the largest corporate donations to the state’s Veterans Memorial Commission; and

Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten participated in E. I. DuPont’s volunteer team for “Project Teach,” a semester-long effort to cover instruction in public school classrooms while regular teachers received first-generation computer training at a time when technology first entered the classroom. SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten designed the instructional program for E. I. DuPont’s volunteer team, training and coaching the company’s contributors; and

Whereas, While at E. I. DuPont and working in coordination with the Belle Works’ Human Resources Department, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten provided counseling to veterans with PTSD. He also trained employees on the first substance-abuse and smoking policy program in the global DuPont system; and

Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten retired from E.I. DuPont in Belle as an electrical-instrument mechanic after 39 years of service. He developed multiple safety devices for the chemical industry and received multiple safety awards; and

Whereas, At the time of his death, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten was president of the Marmet Hospital Foundation, having served on its board for several decades. His final project with the foundation created the first ADA wheelchair-accessible playground in the West Virginia State Parks system, in Kanawha State Forest; and

Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten was also a former president of the Charleston Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, a member of the American Legion, and taught map-reading classes for local Boy Scout troops in the Kanawha Valley; and

Whereas, SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten, 71, of Belle, died unexpectedly on November 16, 2020, at the Cleveland Clinic, suffering cardiac arrest after contracting COVID-19 following a long-awaited kidney transplant. He is survived by his wife, Mary Martha Totten and his son, Mark Leslie Totten. Also surviving are his sister, Debbie; brother, George Totten; sister, Marie Leavens Dawson, as well as many other extended family members; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten and his contributions to our state and country; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 20-077/00-089.68 (20A625), (38.24249,-81.56771), locally known as MARMET BR, carrying I-77 over 98th Street in Marmet in Kanawha County, the “U. S. Army SGT Lewis M. ‘Mike’ Totten Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs at both ends identifying the bridge as the “U. S. Army SGT Lewis M. “Mike” Totten Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.