Bill Text: WV SCR3 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: US Army Warrant Officer Joseph Rose III Memorial Bridge
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-13 - To Transportation and Infrastructure [SCR3 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2025-SCR3-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 3
(By Senator Martin)
[Introduced February 12, 2025]
Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge numbers 17.079/00-111.91 NB (17A246) and 17.079/00-111.91 SB (17A247), locally known as Brown's Creek Bridge Northbound and Southbound, carrying Interstate 79 over Brown's Creek in Harrison County, the "U. S. Army Warrant Officer Joseph Rose III Memorial Bridge".
Whereas, Joseph Rose III was born in Morgantown in Monongalia County, West Virginia, on August 24, 1946, to Joseph and Bonita Rose; and
Whereas, Following his graduation from high school, Joseph enlisted in the Army for Warrant Officer training on March 16, 1966; and
Whereas, After 12 months of extensive flying operations training, Warrant Officer Rose earned his Army Aviator Wings at Fort Rucker, Alabama, on April 11, 1967; and
Whereas, Upon graduation from Fort Rucker, Warrant Officer Rose was assigned to the 135th Aviation Company where he honed his skills as a Huey helicopter pilot. Six months later, in October 1967, then 21-year-old Warrant Officer Rose was deployed to South Vietnam and assigned to the 62nd Aviation Company. He was later assigned to the 5th Aviation Detachment and then to the 58th Aviation Detachment, where he was assigned when he became a prisoner of war on February 8, 1968; and
Whereas, After a brave crash landing after his Huey was shot down by small arms, Warrant Officer Rose and his passengers escaped the crash but were soon captured by enemy soldiers, one of whom was shot, and the other five faced a five-year-long ordeal as prisoners of war that did not end until March 5, 1973; and
Whereas, After he was rescued from captivity, Warrant Officer Rose required treatment at Valley Forge Hospital in Pennsylvania, subsequently being honorably discharged from the Army on June 8, 1973, and awarded both a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his heroic acts and injuries sustained during combat; and
Whereas, Upon his return to West Virginia, Warrant Officer Rose married Donna Joyce Steel and settled in West Milford, where they would raise their two sons James and Joseph; and
Whereas, Warrant Officer Rose and his wife had three grandchildren (Ethan, Evan, and Zachary) and Warrant Officer Rose became a respected businessman, owning and operating Thrift Cleaners Dry Cleaning Plant until his retirement while maintaining his love of flying by working as a flight instructor on both variable wing and fixed wing aircraft, and eventually moving to Charles Pointe in Bridgeport in their later years; and
Whereas, Warrant Officer Joseph Rose was a devout man whose strong faith sustained him through his captivity and the rest of his life; he loved his church, Horizons Church, where he was a longtime member of its Transformer Men's Bible Group, through which he was able to help many friends through difficult issues in their lives; and
Whereas, Warrant Officer Joseph Rose III passed away on Sunday, October 1, 2023; and
Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate Warrant Officer Joseph Rose III 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 numbers 17.079/00-111.91 NB (17A246) and 17.079/00-111.91 SB (17A247), locally known as Brown's Creek Bridge Northbound and Southbound, carrying Interstate 79 over Brown's Creek in Harrison County, the "U. S. Army Warrant Officer Joseph Rose III 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 Warrant Officer Joseph Rose III 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 Commissioner of the Division of Highways.
