sr296_Adopted_Senate_5.html
07 LC 34 1174S (SCS)
Senate Resolution 296
By: Senator Goggans of the 7th

ADOPTED SENATE
A RESOLUTION


Dedicating certain portions of the state highway system; and for other purposes.

PART I
WHEREAS, Julian Abel was born on April 23, 1921, and enlisted on August 20, 1942, to serve his country in the Army Air Force during World War II; and

WHEREAS, he was shot down on November 26, 1943; and

WHEREAS, this great citizen of Berrien County, Georgia, made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to his country and defending it during time of war; and

WHEREAS, this courageous soldier, in the spirit of the American patriot, confronted the dangers, privations, and discomforts of wartime service with steadfast resolve, making us as a nation truly proud; and

WHEREAS, all Americans owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces who risk their lives in the defense of freedom and to secure the blessings of liberty for this nation and other peoples of the world.

PART II
WHEREAS, PFC Odom was a member of the 254th Infantry in the United States Army during World War II; and

WHEREAS, while serving in Germany, he was killed on April 18, 1945; and

WHEREAS, this courageous soldier, in the spirit of the American patriot, confronted the dangers, privations, and discomforts of wartime service with steadfast resolve, making us as a nation truly proud; and

WHEREAS, all Americans owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces who risk their lives in the defense of freedom and to secure the blessings of liberty for this nation and other peoples of the world.

PART III
WHEREAS, SFC Bryant H. Roberts was born on January 30, 1920, and served his country in 1942, in the United States Navy aboard the U.S.S. Vincennes during World War II; and

WHEREAS, he made the ultimate sacrifice for his country in the name of freedom for all Americans when he was lost at sea in the line of duty; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners of Berrien County deems it fitting and appropriate to honor the service and sacrifice of SFC Bryant H. Roberts by designating a permanent public memorial near his homeplace.

PART IV
WHEREAS, Fred L. Belcher was born in November, 1919, and was drafted in 1942 to serve his country in the Army Air Force during World War II; and

WHEREAS, he was captured and held as a prisoner of war in Stalog 17B In Kriems, Austria; and

WHEREAS, this great citizen of Berrien County, Georgia, made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to his country and defending it during time of war; and

WHEREAS, this courageous soldier, in the spirit of the American patriot, confronted the dangers, privations, and discomforts of wartime service with steadfast resolve, making us as a nation truly proud; and

WHEREAS, all Americans owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women of our armed forces who risk their lives in the defense of freedom and to secure the blessings of liberty for this nation and other peoples of the world.

PART V
WHEREAS, Mr. John Paul Ellis lives in Hopeulikit, Georgia, with his wife, Beatrice B. Ellis; and

WHEREAS, they have operated a grocery business there since the late 1930s; and

WHEREAS, they also ran a farm and raised five children in the community; and

WHEREAS, John Paul was a county commissioner in Bulloch County for approximately 25 years; and

WHEREAS, he was instrumental in obtaining a four-lane road in the county from Hopeulikit to Statesboro; and

WHEREAS, it is only fitting to honor a man who has devoted so much of his time to serving his community and the State of Georgia.

PART VI
WHEREAS, Bill Lowery was a dynamic force in the music industry in Georgia for many years; and

WHEREAS, Bill Lowery, through his music publishing and recording company, the Lowery Group, recorded songs for such artists as Brenda Lee, Billy Joe Royal, Joe South, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, and Alicia Bridges; and

WHEREAS, he was a recognized genius in identifying musical talent and recognizing hit music; and

WHEREAS, he was the first non-performer to be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper to dedicate the section of Clairmont Road between Buford Highway and Century Plaza Parkway in DeKalb County as the Bill Lowery Parkway as an appropriate tribute to this giant of the music industry in Georgia.

PART VII
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the members of this body dedicate the Hardy Creek Bridge on US 82, in Berrien County, as the POW Julian Abel Memorial Bridge.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body dedicate the Five Mile Creek Bridge on SR 168, in Berrien County, as the PFC Elwood W. Odom Memorial Bridge

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body dedicate the Ten Mile Creek Bridge on SR 168 near Nashville in Berrien County as the MIA/KIA Bryant H. Roberts, SFC Memorial Bridge.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body dedicate the Withlacoochee River Bridge on SR 76 west of Nashville, in Berrien County, as the POW Fred L. Belcher Memorial Bridge.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body dedicate the portion of US 80/SR 26 from Portal to Hopeulikit, in Bulloch County, as the John Paul Ellis Highway.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body dedicate the portion of Clairmont Road between Buford Highway and Century Plaza Parkway in DeKalb County as the Bill Lowery Parkway.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is authorized and directed to erect and maintain appropriate signs dedicating the road facilities named in this resolution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the Department of Transportation, to the family of Julian Abel, to the family of PFC Elwood W. Odom, to the family of Bryant H. Roberts, to the family of Fred L. Belcher, to John Paul Ellis, and to the family of Bill Lowery.