HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 36

(By Delegates  Hartman, C. Thompson, Pethtel, Sponaugle and N. Brown)

[Introduced January 25, 2019]

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 42-42-5.95 (42A-097) crossing the Middle Fork River at Helvetia, Adolph Road, at Adolph, Randolph County, be named the “SPEC 5 Garry Monzel ‘Michael’ Shannon Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, Garry Monzel “Michael” Shannon was born January 13, 1949, in Elkins, West Virginia, and was reared and educated in Randolph County, the son of Felix and Helen Gooden Shannon. Garry’s brother is Felix M. Shannon II, of Elkins West Virginia, and his sister is Lenora Music, of Chicago, Illinois; and

Whereas, Garry Monzel “Michael” Shannon graduated from Elkins High School on June 5, 1967, and was sworn into the United States Army; and

Whereas, In 1969 SPEC 5 Shannon arrived in Vietnam where he served as a helicopter door gunner in Company C, 227^th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 11^th Aviation Group, 1^st Cavalry Division; and

Whereas, SPEC 5 Shannon was killed on June 30, 1970 while serving as a crew member aboard a helicopter which was struck by enemy ground fire and crashed while inserting Army troops into a landing zone in Phuoc Long Providence, South Vietnam; and

Whereas, SPEC 5 Shannon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star with “V” for Valor, the Air Medal with 23 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Purple Heart, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Defense Medal, and the Army Aircrew Badge; and

Whereas, Specialist 5 Shannon was one of over 17 Randolph County residents and one of several hundred West Virginians who made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and his county during the Vietnam War in the cause of freedom; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Commissioner of the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 42-42-5.95 (42A-097) crossing the Middle Fork River at Helvetia, Adolph Road, at Adolph, Randolph County, be named the “Spec 5 Garry Monzel ‘Michael’ Shannon Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Commissioner of the Division of Highways is hereby requested to erect signs at both ends of the bridge containing bold and prominent letters proclaiming the bridge as the “Spec 5 Garry Monzel ‘Michael’ Shannon 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.