HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 103

(By Delegates Skaff, Armstead, Guthrie, Hunt, Lane,

     McCuskey, E. Nelson, Poore, Raines, Walters and Wells)

Requesting the Division of Highways to name bridge number 20-79-1.95 on Interstate 79 in Kanawha County, the "U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Kenneth Amick Memorial Bridge".

    Whereas, Staff Sergeant Amick was fired up with patriotism when he joined the United States Army Air Forces during his senior year at Stonewall Jackson High School; and

    Whereas, Two years after enlisting Staff Sergeant Amick went to England to fight in World War II; and

    Whereas, In 1943 Staff Sergeant Amick married Edith Sayre and wrote to his wife the entire time he was overseas, always careful never to reveal his location; and

    Whereas, Staff Sergeant Amick served as a flight engineer and tail gunner with the B-24 Liberators, 68th Squadron, the 44th Bombardment Group whose logo was the “Flying Eight Balls”; and

    Whereas, Staff Sergeant Amick returned home safely after the war and joined the National Guard; and

    Whereas, While Staff Sergeant Amick’s marriage ended in divorce, he and his wife had one son, Robert Amick;

    Whereas, Staff Sergeant Amick along with eighteen other National Guardsmen were killed when their C-47 slammed into a mountain at the Kanawha Airport on April 8, 1951; and

    Whereas, In 2001 Staff Sergeant Amick’s ex-wife Edith Amick Massie accidentally met Jean Lacey whose husband was to be on that fatal National Guard flight, but his schedule changed; and

    Whereas, Edith Amick Massie began talking with Jean Lacey, who was from England, about a trip she and her granddaughter Heather were going to take to England; and

    Whereas, After talking with Ms. Lacey, Ms. Massie retrieved Staff Sergeant Amick’s letters from England that were in a cedar chest and decided to visit the airfield where he had been stationed; and

    Whereas, During the May 2002 trip to England Ms. Massie had difficulty in finding the airfield that was located somewhere in the Shipdham countryside, so she stopped in a tavern and asked for directions; and

    Whereas, While at the tavern a retired Royal Air Force pilot showed Ms. Massie and her granddaughter Heather pictures of the 44th Bombardment Group taken from 1942 to 1945 that were still displayed on the tavern walls; and

    Whereas, When they reached the last of the photographs Ms. Massie could hardly believe her eyes upon seeing Staff Sergeant Amick’s picture and joyfully exclaimed, “Heather! Heather! There he is!”; and

    Whereas, The tavern owner gave them the photograph and also informed them about D.D. Dodd who operated a museum dedicated to the 44th Bombardment Group; and

    Whereas, After visiting the museum, Mr. Dodd took them on a grand tour of the airfield and the remaining hangar and Ms. Massie took photographs of the symbolic “Flying Eight Balls” logo that was still painted on the control tower; and

    Whereas, Staff Sergeant Amick’s granddaughter Heather returned home to Maryland with a substantial amount of information about her grandfather that she shared with her brothers, Cameron and Mark, and her father, Staff Sergeant Amick’s son, Robert Amick who had been only six when his father died; and

    Whereas, It is fitting to honor Staff Sergeant Kenneth Amick for his commitment, dedication and service to his country and his state; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 20-79-1.95 on Interstate 79 in Kanawha County, the "U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Kenneth Amick Memorial Bridge; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the "U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Kenneth Amick Memorial Bridge"; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a certified copy of this resolution to the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, his son, Robert Amick and Edith Amick Massie.