HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 60

(By Delegates Rowe, Estep-Burton, Robinson and Pushkin)

[Introduced February 4, 2020 ]

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 20-77-98.10 (20A420), Lat/Long (38.33497,-81.59610) locally known as I-77 Wertz Avenue OP NB, carrying I-77 over Wertz Avenue in Kanawha County, the “U. S. Army PFC Teddy Ray Chandler Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, Teddy Ray Chandler was born July 27, 1932, in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of Opha and Rose Mary Chandler; and

Whereas, Teddy Ray Chandler lived on Piedmont Road in Charleston; and attended Roosevelt Junior High School and Charleston High School; and

Whereas, Teddy Ray Chandler enlisted in the Army on July 28, 1950, and was assigned to Company F, 35th Infantry Division as a light weapons infantryman; and

Whereas, Teddy was sent to Korea in late August 1950, where his regiment became known as “The rock of the Nam”; and

Whereas, His unit was assigned the task of securing the Kaesong area but on November 25th his unit was surprised by an onslaught of overwhelming numbers of communist Chinese forces who descended upon them from Manchuria; and

Whereas, Teddy Ray Chandler was listed as missing in action and presumed dead on November 27, 1950, and his body has never been found; and

Whereas, During his short military career, Teddy Ray Chandler was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Korea Service Medal and the Purple Heart; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate Army Pfc Teddy Ray Chandler and his 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 20-77-98.10(20A420), Lat./Long.(38.33497,-81.59610) locally known as I-77 Wertz Avenue OP NB, carrying I-77 over Wertz Avenue in Kanawha County, the “U. S. Army Pfc Teddy Ray Chandler 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 Pfc Teddy Ray Chandler Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

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