SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 25

(By Senators Plymale, Unger, Stollings, Cole and Jenkins)

Requesting that the portion of State Route 37 from the Town of Wayne to the Lincoln County line be named the “Army Spec. 4th Class Darrell W. Sanders Memorial Highway”.

    Whereas, Darrell W. Sanders, born October 6, 1945, was the son of Lakie Epling Sanders and Early Sanders; and

    Whereas, Darrell W. Sanders was a resident of East Lynn, Wayne County, West Virginia, and was a graduate of Wayne High School; and

    Whereas, Darrell W. Sanders had eight brothers and sisters; and

    Whereas, Darrell W. Sanders was drafted into the United States Army soon after graduating from Wayne High School and, following training, was deployed to South Vietnam; and

    Whereas, Army Specialist 4th Class Darrell W. Sanders was an infantryman in Company C, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment; and

    Whereas, Army Specialist 4th Class Darrell W. Sanders participated in the Battle of La Drang Valley, South Vietnam, a five-day battle which was the first major battle of the Vietnam War between regular forces of the United States and regular forces of the Peoples’ Army of North Vietnam; and

    Whereas, The Battle of La Drang Valley was fought between November 11th and November 18th, 1965; and

    Whereas, After two days and nights of heavy fighting on November 14 to November 16, the initial Vietnamese assault was repulsed, but during a surprise followup attack on November 17 the enemy forces overran Specialist 4th Class Darrell W. Sanders’ unit in what was the deadliest ambush of a United States unit during the course of the entire war; and

    Whereas, Specialist 4th Class Darrell W. Sanders was killed in the battle November 17, 1965; and

    Whereas, Specialist 4th Class Darrell W. Sanders’ name appears on the Vietnam War Memorial, Panel 03E Line 091; and

    Whereas, It is fitting that an appropriate memorial recognizing this soldier’s service and sacrifice be established in the area where he lived; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name the portion of State Route 37 from the Town of Wayne to the Lincoln County line the “Army Spec. 4th Class Darrell W. Sanders Memorial Highway”; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Commissioner of the Division of Highways is hereby requested to erect signs at both ends of the designated highway containing bold and prominent letters proclaiming that portion of State Route 37 the “Army Spec. 4th Class Darrell W. Sanders Memorial Highway”; 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.