hr321_LC_34_1160S_hs_4.html
07 LC 34 1160S

The House Committee on Transportation offers the following substitute to HR 321:

A RESOLUTION

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

PART I
WHEREAS, Dick Chambers was born January 13, 1924, in Colquitt County to Nellie Alderman Chambers Wilson and John Jovus Chambers; and

WHEREAS, he was a retired quality control manager for Bridgeport Brass Company and he served as the Mayor of Funston for 49 years; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Chambers was a WWII veteran and was an ammunition bearer for a machine gun squadron that fought in Europe from December 1944 through July 1945 as part of Company G, 38th Infantry; he received the Bronze Star, the Good Conduct Medal, and many other awards for his distinguished service; and

WHEREAS, he was a life-long member of the Funston First United Methodist Church where he served as trustee, steward, and chairman of the board, and he also served on the board of the Southwest Geogia Rural Development Board in Camilla, Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Chambers was most proud of the creation of the volunteer fire department, the installation of the water system in Funston, and the construction of a new city hall; and

WHEREAS, he was married to Bettie Fisher Chambers and they had two children, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, he was a kind and gentle soul who loved to travel and spend time with his friends and family.

PART II
WHEREAS, SGT David Samuel Collins was stationed out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, serving in Iraq and was a member of the United States Army´s 101st Airborne Division, 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, and 4th Brigade Combat Team; and

WHEREAS, he lost his life in Iraq on April 9, 2006, while bravely serving his country; and

WHEREAS, SGT Collins was 24 years old at the time of his death; and

WHEREAS, he grew up just beyond the intersection of SR 515 and Philadelphia Road in Pickens County; and

WHEREAS, SGT Collins is survived by his wife, Mara, two young children, James and Elizabeth, and his parents, Sammy Collins and Lynn Dean; and

WHEREAS, this courageous soldier, an American patriot, volunteered to confront the dangers, privations, and discomforts of wartime service and, in the name of humanity, strove to keep the peace in Iraq with fortitude and 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, securing the blessings of liberty for this nation and other peoples of the world.

PART III
WHEREAS, Ed Echols was born in Forsyth County, Georgia, on December 28, 1913; and

WHEREAS, he was an entrepreneur who owned the Bishop Brothers Auto Auction and founded Echols Brothers House Movers; and

WHEREAS, he served three terms as a county commissioner for Clayton County, Georgia, and was a board member of the Clayton County Water Authority; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Echols was a farmer and rancher in Henry County commencing in 1943 and was the owner of the Echols Dairy Farm from 1951 to 1973; and

WHEREAS, he was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Salem Baptist Church; and
WHEREAS, he was the father of five children, all of whom live in Henry County; grandfather of 13 children, 12 of whom live in Henry County; and great-grandfather of 32 children; and

WHEREAS, this outstanding citizen lived a life of service to his church and his community and helped his communities adapt and prosper in times of fast moving changes.

PART IV
WHEREAS, Kelley L. Courtney was born and raised on Barfield Road in Bibb County, Georgia, and never left home until he and his brother Donnie joined the United States Marine Corps in 1998; and

WHEREAS, Kelley L. Courtney rose to the rank of sergeant and was an intelligence officer who was assigned from the 3rd Intelligence Battalion of the III Marine Expeditionary Force to augment the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in Iraq and served as a counterintelligence and human intelligence specialist; and

WHEREAS, on October 30, 2004, Sgt. Courtney was killed in action in Fallujah, Iraq; and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Courtney has been recognized by the Marines for the vital role he played in leadership and his deep personal commitment to the protection and welfare of the citizens of this nation by dedicating a building in his honor at Camp Hansen, Okinawa; and

WHEREAS, Sgt. Courtney diligently and conscientiously devoted innumerable hours of his time, talents, and energy toward the betterment of his community, state, and nation; and

WHEREAS, his significant organizational and leadership talents, his remarkable patience and diplomacy, his keen sense of vision, and his sensitivity to the needs of the citizens of his nation earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues and associates; and

WHEREAS, he was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and it is only fitting and proper that an interchange should be named in his honor.

PART V
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the portion of SR 37 within the city limits of Funston, Georgia, in Colquitt County, be dedicated as the Edward Sidney "Dick" Chambers Memorial Highway.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the intersection of SR 515 and Philadelphia Road in Pickens County be dedicated as the SGT David Samuel Collins Memorial Interchange.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the portion of SR 20 from the North McDonough city limit to East Lake Road, in Henry County, be dedicated as the Ed Echols Memorial Highway.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the intersection of Hartley Bridge Road and I-75 in Bibb County is dedicated as the Sgt. Kelley L. Courtney Interchange.

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 Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the Department of Transportation, to the family of Edward Sidney "Dick" Chambers, to the family of SGT David Samuel Collins, to the family of Mr. Ed Echols, and to the family of Sgt. Kelley L. Courtney.