07 LC 36
0767
Senate
Resolution 581
By:
Senator Smith of the 52nd
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the Capitol Arts Standards Commission to authorize the placement of a portrait
in the state capitol honoring Admiral John Henry Towers; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
John Henry Towers was born in Rome, Georgia, in 1885 into a family with a
history of military service; and
WHEREAS,
he graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1906 and began his
distinguished career on board the battleship U.S.S.
Kentucky;
and
WHEREAS,
in 1910, he requested to be assigned to aviation duty and learned to fly the
Navy's first seaplane, the Curtiss A-1, and was designated Naval Aviator No. 3;
and
WHEREAS,
in every chapter of the development of naval aviation, John Henry Towers was
present; and
WHEREAS,
he began training pilots in 1912 in Annapolis, Maryland, and, in 1914, he
established the first naval air station in an abandoned Navy yard in Pensacola,
Florida, where the Navy still trains its pilots; and
WHEREAS,
in 1919, he organized, trained, and commanded the first transatlantic air
crossing and became an international celebrity; and
WHEREAS,
in 1921, he began training Navy pilots in land planes in anticipation of the
advent of the aircraft carrier and later became the executive officer and
commander of the first Navy aircraft carrier, the
U.S.S.
Langley, and later commanded the
U.S.S.
Saratoga; and
WHEREAS,
in 1939, he became the first naval aviator to achieve flag rank as Chief of the
Bureau of Aeronautics and organized the expansion of the naval air forces from
2,000 to nearly 10,000 airplanes in two years;
and
WHEREAS, he directed naval and marine aviation in the opening period of World War II, working with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Representative Carl Vinson, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to supply aviation equipment to the British; and
WHEREAS, he directed naval and marine aviation in the opening period of World War II, working with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Representative Carl Vinson, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to supply aviation equipment to the British; and
WHEREAS,
he was constantly called upon for consultation by the Congress of the United
States concerning aviation questions and problems and was known by his peers as
the "Crown Prince of Naval Aviation;" and
WHEREAS,
during World War II, he served as the Commander of the Naval Air Forces for the
Pacific Fleet and led the expansion of carrier forces and the use of the
aircraft carrier as a powerful combat weapon; and
WHEREAS,
in 1945, he was one of the United States representatives at the Japanese
surrender on the
U.S.S.
Missouri in Tokyo Bay; and
WHEREAS,
on December 1, 1947, after 45 years of dedicated service, he retired from active
duty as a four-star admiral, the first Georgian to achieve such a rank in any
branch of the military; and
WHEREAS,
he has been inducted into the Naval Aviation Hall of Fame, the United States
Aviation Hall of Fame, and the International Aviation Hall of Fame;
and
WHEREAS,
he died in 1955 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery; and
WHEREAS,
his wisdom, courage, vision, leadership, innovation, and achievements have
brought honor to him and the State of Georgia, and it is fitting that such a
distinguished Georgian be appropriately honored through an enduring
memorial.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body, in
recognition of the distinguished service and dedication of Admiral John Henry
Towers, urges the Capitol Arts Standards Commission to authorize the placement
of a portrait of Admiral Towers at an appropriate location on the third or
fourth floor of the state capitol building. No state funds shall be used for
the purchase of the portrait.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the Capitol Arts Standards
Commission.