HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 40

(By Delegate Sponaugle, Campbell, C. Thompson, Angelucci, Caputo, Barrett, Staggers, Hartman, Hott, Rowan, Lavender-Bowe, Boggs, N. Brown, S. Brown, and Diserio)

[Introduced January 30, 2019]

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 16-55-11.40 (16A136), locally known as U. S. 220 Connector Bridge, carrying West Virginia Route 55 over South Valley Branch Railroad and Dumpling Run in Hardy County, the “U. S. Army CAPT William H. Denney, Jr. Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, William H. Denney was born November 6, 1939, in Washington, D. C.; and

Whereas, William H. Denney attended public schools in Moorefield, West Virginia and received the first scholarship from the Moorefield High School Scholarship Fund to attend college; and

Whereas, William H.  Denney used the scholarship he was awarded to attend West Virginia University until he cut his education short to enter active U. S. Army service during an Army Reserve call up for a crisis in Berlin; and

Whereas, William H. Denney rose through the ranks as a noncommissioned officer and a commissioned officer to become Captain of Company D, 2d Battalion, 3d Infantry of the 199^th Infantry Brigade; and

Whereas, CAPT Denney was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on April 23, 1969, for his extraordinary heroism during military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force; and

Whereas, CAPT Denney was killed in combat on February 2, 1969, during a military combat operation in Vietnam near Cu-Chi; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate CAPT William H. Denney, Jr. 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 16-55-11.40 (16A136), locally known as U. S. 220 Connector Bridge, carrying West Virginia Route 55 over South Valley Branch Railroad and Dumpling Run in Hardy County, the “U. S. Army CAPT William H. Denney, Jr. 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 Capt. William H. Denney, Jr. 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.