HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 42
(By Delegates Perdue and Mr. Speaker, Mr. Thompson)
Requesting the Division of Highways to name the bridge located on
U.S. Route 52, Southbound near Prichard, Wayne County,
specifically bridge number 50-52-15.93, the "Lance Corporal
Samuel R. Drown Memorial Bridge, Killed in Action, Vietnam
1967."
Whereas, Samuel R. Drown was born on December 24, 1946, the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Elba Drown in Prichard, West Virginia and raised
and educated in Wayne County. He spent the first eighteen years of
his life in this small community among many loving family and
friends. He attended a two-room elementary school, graduated from
Buffalo High School, was a member of the Smith Memorial Methodist
Church and played on, farmed on and hunted on the land where the
bridge is located; and
Whereas, In April, 1964, prior to his eighteenth birthday and
with his parents' permission, Samuel R. Drown proudly volunteered
for service in the United States Marine Corps, following his
father, uncles and other family members in the military where he
rose to the rank of Lance Corporal, believing he could best serve
his country in the Marine Corps. After training in the United
States at Camp Drum, New York, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and Europe, Lance Corporal Samuel R. Drown was deployed to South
Vietnam in late 1966. After serving there less than five months,
he was tragically killed on March 6, 1967, in Quang Tri, South
Vietnam, by small arms fire, at the age of twenty; and
Whereas, Lance Corporal Samuel R. Drown made the ultimate
sacrifice for his country, during the conflict in Vietnam, earning
the purple heart and other medals posthumously. At the time of his
passing, he was survived by his parents and sister, Anita, and
brother Curtis; and
Whereas, The nature of the sacrifice of this brave and
courageous son of Wayne County requires us to honor his memory, by
ensuring that future generations are aware of his bravery and
sacrifice in the cause of freedom; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby requests the Commissioner of the
Division of Highways to name Bridge number 50-52-15.93, located on
U.S. Route 52 near the Prichard exit, Prichard, Wayne County the
"Lance Corporal Samuel R. Drown Memorial Bridge, Killed in Action,
Vietnam, 1967"; and, be it
Further Resolved,
That the Commissioner of the Division of
Highways is hereby requested to cause to be fabricated signs to be
erected at each entry of said bridge, containing bold and prominent
letters proclaiming the bridge to be the
"Lance Corporal Samuel R.
Drown Memorial Bridge Killed in Action, Vietnam, 1967"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a certified copy of this resolution to the Secretary of
Transportation, the Commissioner of the Division of Highways, and
the surviving family of Lance Corporal Samuel R. Drown.