SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 34

(By Senators D. Facemire, Minard, Klempa and Yost)

Requesting the Division of Highways to name bridge number 21-79-95.73 on I-79 in Weston, West Virginia, the “Colonel James E. Hiteshew Memorial Bridge”.

    Whereas, James Edward Hiteshew was born October 8, 1930, in Weston, West Virginia, the son of Olive and John Hiteshew; and

    Whereas, He attended a two-room country school for the first six grades and then went to Weston Junior High School and Weston High School; and

    Whereas, While in school, he participated in various activities. He was president of the senior class and captain of the football team and an all-conference and second team all-state football guard his senior year of high school; and

    Whereas, After graduation from high school in 1948, he attended Glenville College, West Virginia Wesleyan College and the United States Coast Guard Academy before entering the Air Force as an aviation cadet in 1952; and

    Whereas, He received his wings and commission in September 1953 and then after completing gunnery school at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) Arizona, he was assigned to the 405^th Fighter Bomber Group at Langley Air Force Base (AFB), Virginia and several other assignments throughout the United States and abroad; and

    Whereas, Colonel Hiteshew departed for Southeast Asia on September 18, 1966 and was stationed at Takhli Air Base; and

    Whereas, He was flying over Vinh Phu province on his 75^th mission when his F-105 Thunderchief was shot down on March 11, 1967 and he was captured; and

    Whereas, Colonel Hiteshew’s emergency beepers had been heard and his parachute was observed, but immediate rescue in hostile territory proved impossible; and

    Whereas, While a prisoner of war in North Vietnam Colonel Hiteshew lived for six years in a twelve-foot cell, was repeatedly beaten by his captures and tied to a post so villagers could pelt him with rocks; and

    Whereas, He utilized tapped codes to stay in touch with other prisoners during his six year stay before being repatriated with other POWs on March 4, 1973; and

    Whereas, During Vietnam POW’s reunion in 1996, he recalled that he suffered a broken right arm, a broken left elbow, a badly fractured right leg and a broken left leg after he ejected from his aircraft; and

    Whereas, Colonel Hiteshew retired from the Air Force in 1979; and

    Whereas, After retirement from the Air Force, Colonel Hiteshew started the Air Force Junior ROTC Detachment at Eastern Wayne High School in Goldsboro, North Carolina where his unique teaching style and quick wit developed his detachment into one of the “showcase” detachments in the Southeast region of the United States; and

    Whereas, Colonel Hiteshew bravely earned the decorations of two Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, two Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts and the Meritorious Service Medal; and

    Whereas, Colonel Hiteshew passed away on February 7, 2006; and

    Whereas, Colonel James Edward Hiteshew was married to Wilma “Billie” Coarathers Hiteshew, was father to Michael Dave and Susan Jeanne Davis and grandfather of Michael James Davis and David Ryan Davis; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 21-79-95.73 on I-79 in Weston, West Virginia, the “Colonel James E. Hiteshew 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 “Colonel James E. Hiteshew 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 family of James E. Hiteshew and the Secretary of the Department of Transportation.