COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 98

By Delegates Gearheart, Criss, Storch, Longstreth, Westfall, Hamrick, Phillips, Overington, Miller, C., Walters and Ambler

Originating in the Committee on Roads and Transportation

Requesting the Division of Highways to name Bridge Number 20-77-83.31 (20A612) (38.19472, -81.47715), carrying I-77 (West Virginia Turnpike) over the CSX Railroad in Kanawha County, the "U. S. Army LTC John H. Reed, Jr., Memorial Bridge".

Whereas, John H. Reed, Jr., was born on October 25, 1919, in Craddock, Virginia, the oldest child of John H. Reed, Sr., and Nellie Grey Hutchison Reed; and

Whereas, John H. Reed, Jr., grew up in South Charleston, and was graduated from South Charleston High School in 1937, where he excelled in the classroom and on the football field; he then attended Kanawha College where he met the love of his life and future wife, Lottie L. Miller; he graduated from New River State College in 1941, where he was a member of the football, basketball and baseball teams; and

Whereas, In November, 1941, John enlisted in the U. S. Army, and served throughout World War II as a Lieutenant in the 40th Combat Engineer Regiment, in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and also Germany, where he was one of the first Allied troops to enter and liberate the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau; and

Whereas, In 1949, John graduated from Washington & Lee University College of Law, having completed law school in just two years, and returned to South Charleston where he opened a private practice and also became an adjunct professor at Morris Harvey College; and

Whereas, In the early 1950's, John H. Reed, Jr., served as counsel to the West Virginia Turnpike Commission and oversaw the title acquisition of property for the right-of-way for the West Virginia Turnpike; and

Whereas, In 1958, John H. Reed, Jr., became the first elected municipal judge for the City of South Charleston and during his four year term, no fatal automobile accidents occurred on U.S. Route 60, then the main thoroughfare through South Charleston; and

Whereas, After World War II, John continued his military service in the U. S. Army Reserve and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel; he retired in 1970 as the Commander of the 38th Ordinance Group of Troop Units then located in South Charleston, which included command of all the U. S. Army Reserve components in the state; and

Whereas, John H. Reed, Jr., maintained a private law practice in South Charleston and in Hurricane, West Virginia for over 50 years, including being the senior partner of the law firm of Reed & Reed; and

Whereas, John H. Reed, Jr., also served his community and profession as a former state committeeman and parliamentarian of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, former officer of the West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, former chairman of the Unlawful Practice Committee of the West Virginia State Bar, former president of the Spring Hill chapter of the Civitans and as a member of various other organizations; and

Whereas, John H. Reed, Jr., departed this life on November 16, 2004, and is survived by his daughter, Donna Reed Turner and her husband, J. Thomas Turner, of South Charleston, West Virginia; son, John H. Reed, III and his wife, Jane Ann Reed, of Hurricane, West Virginia; son, Ellis Miller Reed of New Smyrna, Florida; grandchildren, David Turner, Joanna Elizabeth Wilder, Leah Anne Vecchione, Jeffrey Reed and Ellisa Reed, and five greatgrandchildren; and

Whereas, It is fitting to honor John H. Reed, Jr., for his service to his community, his state and his country by naming the said bridge the “U. S. Army LTC John H. Reed, Jr., Memorial Bridge”; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name the Bridge Number 20-77-83.31 (20A612) (38.19472, -81.47715), carrying I-77 (West Virginia Turnpike) over the CSX Railroad in Kanawha County, the “U. S. Army LTC John H. Reed, Jr., Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying said bridge as the “U. S. Army LTC John H. Reed, Jr., Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward certified copies of this resolution to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and to his family.