HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 51

(By Delegate Barnhart)

[Introduced January 29, 2024; referred to the Committee on Technology and Infrastructure then Rules ]

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 43-017/00-000.06(43A054), locally known as Racy Bridge, carrying County Route 017 over North Fork Hughes River in Ritchie County, the "U. S. Army Colonel Merlin C. Kerns Memorial Bridge".

Whereas, Colonel Kerns was born in Macfarlan in Ritchie County on May 4, 1914; and

Whereas, Colonel Kerns graduated from Cairo High School in Cairo, West Virginia and attended Shenandoah College in Dayton, Virginia; and

Whereas, In 1941, Colonel Kerns enlisted in the Army, attended Military Police Officer School, and served in Germany during World War II, then serving four years on General MacArthur's Far East Command in Tokyo, then serving in Korea during the Korean War; and

Whereas, After the Korean War, Colonel Kerns's assignments included Provost Marshal of Fort Lewis in Washington, and Fort Richardson in Alaska; Commanding Officer of 503^rd Military Police at Fort Bragg in North Carolina; Provost Marshal of Headquarters I Corps in Korea, and Provost Marshal of the office of the Chief of Engineers in Washington, DC.; and

Whereas, During the Vietnam War, Colonel Kerns served as Provost Marshal of the U.S. Army Headquarters Area Command in Saigon from 1968 to 1969. His military decorations include the Broze Star with the Oak Leaf Cluster and the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters. In 1984, Colonel Kerns was named an Outstanding West Virginian by Governor Jay Rockefeller; and

Whereas, Colonel Kerns died of a heart attack on May 7, 1997, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He is survived by his wife, Lorraine Kerns; daughter, Kathie Whitler of Charleston, WV; a son, Jack Kerns of Oxnard, California; and two grandchildren, Matthew and Michael Whitler of Charleston, WV; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate Colonel Merlin C. Kerns and his/her contributions to our 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 43-017/00-000.06 (43A054) locally known as Racy Bridge, carrying County Route 017 over North Fork Hughes River in Ritchie County, the "U. S. Army Colonel Merlin C. Kerns 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 Colonel Merlin C. Kerns Memorial Bridge"; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House is to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.