SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 28

(By Senators Boso, Karnes and Beach)

[Introduced March 8, 2017]

Requesting the Division of Highways to name a section of U. S. Route 219 from its Intersection with WV State Route 15 at Valley Head, West Virginia, south to the Pocahontas County line in Randolph County, the “U. S. Army SPC 4 Randall W. Arbogast Memorial Road.

Whereas, Randall W. Arbogast was born at Valley Head, West Virginia, on February 12, 1945, the eldest son of the late Warren Everett Arbogast and Arizona Ware Arbogast. He was a graduate of Tygarts Valley High School Class of 1964 and was employed by Pioneer Lumber Company until entering the U. S. Army on September 29, 1965, and was one of 4,000 soldiers assigned to the elements of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, the first “light” infantry brigade in U. S. military history; and

Whereas, U. S. Army SPC 4 Randall W. Arbogast was the only casualty of the Vietnam War from the southern Randolph County communities of Valley Head, Mingo and Monterville, West Virginia and was also the only graduate of Tygarts Valley High School to lose his life in the Vietnam War; and

Whereas, Randall served with B Company 4th Battalion 31 Infantry from September 29, 1965 thru February 11, 1967; on his 22nd birthday, February 12, 1967, he was transferred to B Company 1st Battalion Mechanized 5th Infantry 25th Infantry Division where he was assigned as an 11C10 Indirect Fire Infantryman M-60 Machine Gunner; and

Whereas, On May 3, 1967, Randall’s squad was engaged in hostile action with the enemy in Hau Nghia Province when he was hit with a blast from a white phosphorous grenade and suffered sixty-eight percent total body burns with forty-seven percent being third degree burns; Randall was evacuated from the field and on May 8, 1967, arrived at Brook General Hospital, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for treatment of his injuries; and

Whereas, U. S. Army SPC 4 Randall W. Arbogast died on May 31, 1967, of septicemia due to burns received in combat in Hau Nghia Province, Vietnam; he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Defense Medal and the Combat Infantry Badge; his name is listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D. C.; and

Whereas, Randall was survived by two brothers, Stanley and Steve Arbogast, and six sisters, Lou Arbogast Burkhardt, Leanne Arbogast, Jean Arbogast Hesson, Janice Arbogast Hadley, Kayleen Arbogast Dunsmoor and Carol Arbogast; and

Whereas, The death of this brave American soldier and his sacrifice to his country, state and community should not go unnoticed and the naming of a section of U. S. Route 219, from its intersection with WV State Route 15 at Valley Head, West Virginia, south to the Pocahontas County line, the “U. S. Army SPC 4 Randall W. Arbogast Memorial Road” in Randolph County would be an appropriate tribute; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name a section of U. S. Route 219 from its intersection with WV State Route 15 at Valley Head, West Virginia, south to the Pocahontas County line in Randolph County, the “U. S. Army SPC 4 Randall W. Arbogast Memorial Road”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the road as the “U. S. Army SPC 4 Randall W. Arbogast Memorial Road”; 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.