HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 48

(By Delegate L. Phillips, Moore and White)

Requesting the Division of Highways to name bridge number 24-80-11.10 on Route 80 within the city limits of Iaeger near the Auvil railroad yard in McDowell County, the "Corporal Tracy Thurman Walls Memorial Bridge".

    Whereas, Tracy Thurman Walls was born December 1, 1947 in McDowell County, the son of Charles Hughes Walls and Mary Elizabeth Short Walls, both deceased. He graduated from Iaeger High School in 1966 and shortly thereafter enlisted in the U. S. Army. He was a member of D Troop, 3d Squadron, 5^th Cavalry (Air Calvary) whose nickname was the “Dough Boys.” He was killed in action on April 22, 1968 in Long An Province, Vietnam by small arms fire in an ambush along with five other “Dough Boys”. The after action report indicates that they were engaged in heavy automatic weapons fire from approximately eight locations and from light automatic weapons fire from approximately twenty locations. The battle lasted over eight hours until aerial and artillery support helped drive off the enemy force. Corporal Tracy Thurman Walls received, posthumously, a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star; and

    Whereas, Corporal Tracy Thurman Walls made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and in doing so represented Iaeger, McDowell County, West Virginia and his country with the highest levels of honor and courage and his sacrifice should not go unnoticed, naming the bridge in McDowell County is an appropriate recognition of his ultimate sacrifice for 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 24-80-11.10 on Route 80 within the city limits of Iaeger near the Auvil railroad yard in McDowell County, the "Corporal Tracy Thurman Walls Memorial Bridge"; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is requested to have made and be placed signs identifying bridge number 24-80-11.10 on Route 80 within the city limits of Iaeger near the Auvil railroad yard in McDowell County, the "Corporal Tracy Thurman Walls Memorial Bridge"; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a certified copy of this resolution to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and the surviving family members of Corporal Tracy Thurman Walls: brothers William Edward Walls, Vaughan Sherman Walls, Sampy Hughs Walls and half-brother, Arthur Dellmore Short.