HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 55
(By Delegates Manchin, Caputo, Prunty and Coleman)
[Introduced February 25, 2002; referred to the
Committee on Rules.]
Requesting the West Virginia Division of Highways to name the new
bridge two miles North of Rivesville on U.S. Route 19 over
Pharoah Run Creek the "Sgt. Harrison Summers Bridge."
Whereas, Harrison Summers was born on July 12th, 1918, on a farm
in Catawba, Marion County, West Virginia; and
Whereas, Harrison attended East Fairmont High School for
approximately three and one-half years before moving to Baltimore,
Maryland to work in a wire mill; and
Whereas, Harrison enlisted in the United States Army at age 19
in Baltimore serving in the 502nd Parachute Regiment, 101st Airborne
Division; and
Whereas, Harrison spent the next four years in Hawaii where he
married his beloved wife, the late Ruth Eminger Summers while on
leave; and
Whereas, Harrison participated in the D-Day Invasion of
Normandy, France, where he has been credited with single-handedly killing 31 Germans, and killing or forcing to flee another 70 or
more Germans from a series of buildings on the Normandy Coast that
occurred as one isolated engagement with the enemy; and
Whereas, Harrison's heroic efforts have been detailed in
numerous books such as Stephen Ambrose's the "Victor's-Utah Beach
and "D-Day", L.S.A. Marshall's "Night Drop: the American Airborne
Invasion of Normandy" and "Rendezvous with Destiny: A History of
the 101st Airborne" by Leonard Rapport and Arthur Northwood; and
Whereas, Harrison received a battlefield commission to
Lieutenant, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart for
serious wounds suffered in Holland; and
Whereas, Harrison was never concerned about receiving the Medal
of Honor in which he was nominated for, but never received due to
the paperwork being lost, because Harrison believed he was just
doing his job; and
Whereas, Harrison returned home in 1945 and worked as a coal
miner in Marion County before becoming a state mine inspector and
later a federal mine inspector; and
Whereas, Harrison resided with his family at Route #1,
Rivesville, West Virginia, from 1945 until his death in August,
1983, from lung cancer; and
Whereas, After his death, Harrison's fellow members of the 101st
Airborne Division attempted unsuccessfully to posthumously award
him the country's highest military honor; and
Whereas, Harrison Summers unselfishly gave of himself to his
family and friends, his country, his state and his surrounding
community and in so doing, left this world a better place than it
was when he entered it; and
Whereas, The life of Harrison Summers should not go unnoticed;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the West Virginia Legislature:
That the members of the Legislature request the West Virginia
Division of Highways to name the new bridge two miles North of
Rivesville on U.S. Route 19 over the Pharoah Run Creek the "Sgt.
Harrison Summers Bridge"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the West Virginia Division of Highways
provide and erect a sign at either end of the bridge displaying the
name of the bridge; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward
a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of
Highways, and to Harrison Summers' son, Richard Summers.