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Senate committee advances resolution naming highway segments to honor 19 Clackamas County veterans
Summary
The Senate Committee on Rules voted to adopt House Concurrent Resolution 39A, which names highway segments to honor 19 Oregon veterans connected to Clackamas County; the measure passed out of committee with testimony from family members, veterans groups and a state representative.
The Senate Committee on Rules voted to adopt House Concurrent Resolution 39A and moved it to the Senate floor with an adopt recommendation.
Representative Christine Drazen, sponsor of HCR 39A, told the committee the resolution "recognizes and honors 19 Oregon veterans for their service to this country" by naming highway segments in their memory. She said naming the segments "ensure[s] that their bravery and dedication are forever etched into the fabric of our daily lives." The group honored in the resolution is connected to Clackamas County.
Testimony in support came from veterans and local leaders. Colonel Rick Kofel, a combat veteran and VFW member, described the resolution as "a start in the right direction" to give families closure and recognition. Laurie Kimmel, chair of a county veterans council and a retired senior noncommissioned officer, recommended a do-pass, saying: "Honoring the fallen is part of the American culture." Brian Gornick, an Iraqi Freedom veteran and monuments committee chair, said roadside tributes are overdue for Vietnam-era veterans who did not receive comparable public recognition when they returned home.
Representative Drazen read biographical information for the servicemembers named in the resolution, including Staff Sergeant Donald Dean Brubaker (killed in action in Korea, buried at Willamette National Cemetery), Airman Brian Lee Bushnell (lost at sea, memorialized at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific), and Private First Class Louis Ray Dietz (killed in South Vietnam, buried at Willamette National Cemetery). The resolution lists 19 veterans by name and service details.
The committee voted and the motion passed; Vice Chair Bonham was named carrier to the Senate floor. Committee members urged the public to visit the Capitol Mall Vietnam veterans tribute as a related reminder. The measure received no recorded opposition during the committee vote and several witnesses praised the measure as overdue recognition for fallen service members.
