Posted by William Smith on May 5, 2009:

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 15 (By Delegates Staton and Sparks) Requesting the West Virginia Department of Highways to name the bridge over the Guyandotte River, located on State Route 16 at its junction with State Route 10, the Lieutenant James L. Smith Memorial Bridge. Whereas, James Leroy Smith was born at Grace Hospital in Welch, West Virginia, on April 5, 1944, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Smith of Pineville, and was reared near Pineville, Wyoming County, West Virginia, attending Pineville High School, where he excelled academically and exhibited leadership by serving as the class president of the Pineville High School graduating class of 1961; and Whereas, In September, 1963, James Leroy Smith enlisted in the United States Army, completing basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and completing Advanced Field Artillery Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he was honored as the Outstanding Trainee of his company; and Whereas, James Leroy Smith, having been nominated by Congressman James Kee, of the Fifth Congressional District of West Virginia, entered his Plebe year at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1965, graduating 326th out of a class of 800 and receiving an Officer's Commission on June 3, 1969, and subsequently attended Infantry Officer's Basic Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, graduating on October 14, 1969, and the United States Army Ranger School, graduating December 16, 1969; and Whereas, Lieutenant James Leroy Smith, after six months of continued training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, entered the Republic of Vietnam on June 28, 1970, for a tour of duty serving in L Company Rangers, 75th Infantry Brigade, 101st Airborne (Airmobile) Division; and Whereas, Lieutenant James Leroy Smith was wounded in action, receiving the Order of the Purple Heart on November 17, 1970; and Whereas, On February 15, 1971, First Lieutenant James Leroy Smith volunteered to guide a helicopter to rescue a seriously wounded member of a Ranger team which was under enemy fire; and Whereas, Sadly, after evacuating the wounded soldier, First Lieutenant James Leroy Smith was killed in action when the helicopter in which he was riding crashed; and Whereas, First Lieutenant James Leroy Smith was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for Achievement with an Oak Leaf Cluster and the Combat Infantryman Badge, and prior to his death had been awarded the Army Commendation Medal and the Good Conduct Medal; and Whereas, First Lieutenant James Leroy Smith made the ultimate sacrifice for his country, giving his own life in an attempt to save the life of a fellow soldier, after a lifetime of patriotism, leadership, devotion to duty and the pursuit of excellence; therefore, be it Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia: That the West Virginia Division of Highways is hereby requested to name the bridge over the Guyandotte River located on West Virginia State Route 16, at the junction of that route with State Route 10, the Lieutenant James L. Smith Memorial Bridge; and, be it Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Highways, the Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Transportation, the Governor of the State of West Virginia and the surviving members of Lieutenant James Leroy Smith's family.

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