Amended in Senate August 12, 2013

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 60

Introduced by Senator Knight

July 8, 2013

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 60—Relative to the Lance Corporal Javier Olvera Memorial Highway.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 60, as amended, Knight. Lance Corporal Javier Olvera Memorial Highway.

This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 14 in the begin delete County of Los Angeles end delete begin insert City of Palmdale end insert as the Lance Corporal Javier Olvera Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Director of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, Javier Olvera was born on September 24, 1988, in
the City of Sylmar, California, to Francisco and Martha Olvera;
and

WHEREAS, Mr. Olvera attended R. Rex Parris High School in
the Antelope Valley, during which he participated and excelled in
the Police Explorer program. While watching military programs
on the History Channel, Mr. Olvera became interested in the United
States Marine Corps; and

WHEREAS, Hoping to take his life in a positive direction, in
2006 Mr. Olvera enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and
was sent to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego,
California; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Olvera graduated from Marine Corps boot
camp with his platoon on February 23, 2007, the same day in
history that the United States Marines raised the American flag on
Mount Surabachi in 1945 during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World
War II; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Olvera was then sent to Camp Lejeune in North
Carolina for training as a 0311 Infantryman, where his specialty
was as a radio operator, a highly dangerous job, often targeted in
battle by the enemy; and

WHEREAS, On August 1, 2007, Mr. Olvera was promoted to
the rank of Lance Corporal; and

WHEREAS, In September 2007, Lance Corporal Olvera
deployed to Iraq, where he stayed until February 2008, when he
returned to the United States; and

WHEREAS, Lance Corporal Olvera was again called to service
in May 2009, and subsequently deployed with 2nd Battalion, 8th
Marines with a contingent of 21,000 other Marines to Afghanistan;
and

WHEREAS, On August 8, 2009, Lance Corporal Olvera was
killed in action by an improvised explosive device (IED); and

WHEREAS, During Lance Corporal Olvera’s three years of
service, he was a rising star in the ranks of the United States Marine
Corps, aiming to eventually attain the rank of Sergeant; and

WHEREAS, Lance Corporal Olvera, who gave his life for the
ideals and values of our country, which he treasured deep inside
him, lived by the United States Marine Corps motto, “Semper
Fidelis,” Latin for “Always Faithful”; and

WHEREAS, The death of Lance Corporal Olvera touched many
lives, and all who knew him will forever remember his honor,
courage, and commitment, and be reminded of the biblical
admonition that “No one has greater love than this, to lay down
one’s life for one’s friends”; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the
portion of State Highway Route 14 begin delete along Palmdale’s Avenue P
exit in the County of Los Angeles end delete begin insert in the city of Palmdale from the
south junction of State Highway Route 14 and State Highway Route
138 to West Avenue O8 end insert as the Lance Corporal Javier Olvera
Memorial Highway; and be it further

Resolved, That the Director of Transportation is requested to
determine the cost of appropriate signs consistent with the signing
requirements for the state highway system showing this special
designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources
sufficient to cover the cost, to erect those signs; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.