SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 28

(By Senators Woodrum, Boley, Karnes, Maynard, Phillips, Sypolt, Takubo, Tarr, Weld, Jeffries, Smith, and Stollings)

[Introduced February 01, 2022]

Requesting the Division of Highways name an interstate bridge bearing the bridge numbers 13-064/00-159.39 (EB and WB) (13A1442, 13A145), (37.88992, -80.57907), locally known as  Williamsburg Road Bridge, carrying IS 64 (NB and SB) over County Route 9 in Greenbrier County, as the “U.S. Army PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, Garland Lee Loudermilk was born on July 16, 1923, in Clintonville, West Virginia to Johnny and Bertha Loudermilk; and

Whereas, At the age of 22, PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk was a member of the United States Army’s 89th Calvary Recon Squadron, 9th Armored Division at the Rhine River in Germany during World War II; and

Whereas, PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk was married to Letha M. Loudermilk; and

Whereas, Sadly, PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk was killed in action on March 8, 1945, during the Battle of the Bulge, fighting to protect the country he loved; and

Whereas, PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk is buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Henri Chapelle, Belgium, at Plot E, Row 10, Grave 23; and

Whereas, PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk was awarded a Purple Heart, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and the Honorable Service Lapel Button for his sacrifice and actions during his deployment in World War II; and

Whereas, After the death of PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk, the Loudermilk brothers, Gray, Hubert, Robert, and Earl visited an Alvon Whitfield in Luka, Mississippi to learn stories about what their brother PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk had done during the war, and what happened on the day of his death; and

Whereas, PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk’s wallet was returned to the family by Alvon Whitfield, a gesture that the family sincerely appreciated, a gesture that helped bring closure to the Loudermilk family; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk and his sacrifice to our state and county; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways name an interstate bridge bearing the bridge number 13-064/00-159.39 (EB and WB) (13A1442, 13A145) , (37.88992, -80.57907), locally known as  Williamsburg Road Bridge, carrying IS 64 (NB and SB) over County Route 9 in Greenbrier County, as the “U.S. Army PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk Memorial Bridge” and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the “U.S. Army PVT Garland Lee Loudermilk Memorial Bridge”; 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, as well as to the Loudermilk family.