HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 33

(By Delegates Westfall, Wagner, Atkinson, Higginbotham, Rodighiero and Frich)

[Introduced January 26, 2017; Referred to the Committee on Rules]

Requesting the Division of Highways to name bridge number 18-21-21.51, (18A073), locally known as the Ripley Lanes Bridge, carrying County Route 21 over Sycamore Creek in Jackson County, the “U. S. Army 2LT Clarence Dragoo Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, Lieutenant Dragoo was born on December 30, 1923, and graduated from Gilmore High School in 1941. He attended Capital City Commercial College in Charleston. He was President of the Pi Rho Zeta fraternity and was involved in the drama club. He also performed on the WCHS radio station and worked as a bookkeeper; and

Whereas, In January 1943, Lieutenant Dragoo was inducted into the U. S. Army in Huntington, West Virginia. Six days later he entered active duty at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. On July 3, 1944, Lieutenant Dragoo earned his navigator’s wings and commission at Selman Field in Monroe, Louisiana; and

Whereas, In October of 1944, Lieutenant Dragoo left for overseas duty and arrived in Italy in November; and

Whereas, As a 21-year old navigator on a B-24 Liberator, Lieutenant Dragoo went through a “baptism by fire” and lived to tell about it. While over a railway pass, his plane was sprayed with hundreds of gallons of highly inflammable gas when the Liberator immediately ahead of him was hit by flak and exploded in mid-air. Lieutenant Dragoo’s Liberator became a flying torch, capable of igniting at the slightest spark. With blackened windows and damaged rudders, flying blind and using instruments was the only way to return the plane to the base. Miraculously, the crew managed to do this. Upon returning, Lieutenant Dragoo related that he could use everything he had learned in navigation school; and

Whereas, On February 28, 1945, a change in crew landed Lieutenant Dragoo in the B-24 Liberator manned by a crew known as the “Hanson Crew.” The B-24 was a part of the 716th  Bomber Squadron, 449th Bombardment Group. The Liberator departed Grottaglie Army Air Base in Italy with its target being the Isarco-Albes railroad bridge in northern Italy. The destruction of the bridge was a key objective in the 15th Air Force’s effort to destroy railroad choke points and railroad cars. Upon completion of the bombing run, all the participating aircraft headed to the rally point where they would reform and return to their base. While leaving the area, witnesses reported that the aircraft carrying the Hanson Crew was skimming mountaintops with damaged engines. Pilot Hanson radioed that one of the engines had restarted, but witnesses said the aircraft continued to fall until it could no longer be seen by others in the formation. Lieutenant Dragoo’s death date was reported as February 28, 1945; and

Whereas, On March 16, 1945, Lieutenant Dragoo’s mother, Mrs. Stella Dragoo, received a Western Union telegram officially informing her that her son had been listed as Missing in Action over Italy. In the months following the crash, the remains of four crew members washed ashore in various places along the shores of Italy. While searching for their own lost comrades, a set of remains bearing American Army Air Force clothing and identification tags were recovered by the Germans. The remains were returned to American military authorities in Europe who confirmed them to be a fifth member of that B-24 Liberator; and

Whereas, Both during and after World War II, the American Graves Registration Service searched for and recovered fallen Americans in the Mediterranean area. In 1948, the group convened in Rome, Italy, to discuss the recovery of the six remaining crew members. Based on the area and known information, the group deemed the aircraft and missing crew members “non-recoverable;” and

Whereas, In the years that followed, life continued for the Dragoo family. However, life was never the same for his immediate and extended family. Mother Stella’s son would never return to West Virginia. Lieutenant Dragoo’s siblings, including older sister Dorothy, younger brother Melvin, and younger sister Bernice, would never again see their brother. Bernice would never again talk to her “best friend;” and

Whereas, The handsome young navigator, who was once Treasurer of his FFA chapter, editor of his high school yearbook, and drama club performer would never get the chance to share his talents with the world. Never again would Lieutenant Dragoo pick up his guitar and sing at the Cooper Fork Community Church and never again fill the airwaves at WCHS radio with his voice; and

Whereas, As time wore on, family members passed. But Lieutenant Dragoo’s story was kept alive and passed on to the younger generations. Great-niece Tereasa Staats Yates remembers that “the iconic photo of Clarence in front of the Liberator always hung in Grandma’s house.” Tereasa’s father, Jim Staats, was two years old at the time of the incident. The younger sister Bernice is now of advanced age and living in California. Those remaining are a host of cousins, nephews, nieces, including the generation of great-great-great nieces and nephews; and

Whereas, In 2013, an Italian citizen wrote to military researchers about the discovery of underwater aircraft wreckage off the coast of Grado, Italy. He believed it to contain possible human remains. A dive team was sent to investigate. During a second dive, searchers found and photographed a portion of the aircraft bearing serial numbers that corresponded to Lieutenant Dragoo’s B-24. Working together with the Grado Civil Patrol, U. S. military officials were able to secure the site and prepare for recovery; and

Whereas, In 2015, a team of divers worked to recover both human remains and the wreckage of the aircraft. After 220 dives, the recovery mission was complete. Maternal family members submitted DNA samples during the Summer of 2017 and the remains of Lieutenant Dragoo were positively identified. In an unlikely coincidence, it was learned that one of the Navy divers on the recovery team had a West Virginia connection, not only a West Virginia connection, but also a Jackson County connection. Diver Nate Johnson’s mother Terry grew up in Ravenswood where she followed the story because of her son’s involvement and could share pictures of the recovery mission with family here; and

Whereas, It was a long time coming, and more than a lifetime for the extended Dragoo family, but on October 12, 2017, Lieutenant Dragoo came home by way of Yeager Airport. He was escorted from Yeager Airport in Charleston to Ripley and Waybright Funeral Home by family and friends, and members of the Patriot Guard; and

Whereas, It is fitting that a proper memorial be established for this man who served his nation well and made the ultimate sacrifice; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 18-21-21.51, (18A073), locally known as the Ripley Lanes Bridge, carrying County Route 21 over Sycamore Creek, in Jackson County, the “U. S. Army 2LT Clarence Dragoo Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Commissioner of the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the “U. S. Army 2LT Clarence Dragoo Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.