Amended in Senate May 6, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 38

Introduced by Senator Roth

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Medina)

April 9, 2015

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 38—Relative to memorial highways.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 38, as amended, Roth. Memorial highways.

This measure would designate a specified portion of State Highway Route 91 in the County of Riverside as the Staff Sergeant Salvador J. Lara, Staff Sergeant Ysmael R. Villegas, and Sergeant Jesus S. Duran Memorial Highway. The measure would request the Department 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, Staff Sergeant Salvador J. Lara was born in
Riverside, California, in 1920 and is survived by his niece Vivian
Hernandez and his brother Alfonzo. Alfonzo accepted the Medal
of Honor on behalf of his late brother from President Barack
Obama during a White House ceremony held on March 18, 2014.
Staff Sergeant Lara died on September 1, 1945, and is buried at
the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in Saint-Avold,
Moselle, France; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Lara was one of 24 veterans awarded
the Medal of Honor through the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Public Law 107-107) which called for
a review of Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans
from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War to
ensure that Jewish American and Hispanic American veterans
deserving the Medal of Honor were not subject to prejudice; and

WHEREAS, Then-Private First Class Salvador J. Lara
distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity for his
valorous actions in Aprilia, Italy, May 27-28, 1944. During the
fight on May 27, he aggressively led his rifle squad in neutralizing
multiple enemy strong points and inflicting large numbers of
casualties on the enemy. The next morning, as his company
resumed the attack, Private First Class Lara sustained a severe leg
wound, but did not stop to receive first aid. Private First Class Lara
continued his exemplary performance until he captured his
objective; and

WHEREAS, Private First Class Lara’s extraordinary heroism
and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty were in keeping
with the highest traditions of the United States Army and
demonstrated his ability and leadership as the squad leader of a
rifle squad with the 2nd Platoon, Company L, 180th Infantry, 45th
Infantry Division during combat operations against a determined
enemy; and

WHEREAS, Private First Class Lara achieved the rank of Staff
Sergeant and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
(upgraded to the Medal of Honor on March 18, 2014), the Bronze
Star, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with two
Bronze Service Stars, the World War II Victory Medal, the
Presidential Unit Citation, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and
the Honorable Service Lapel Button-World War II; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Ysmael “Smiley” R. Villegas was
a Mexican American who was born on March 21, 1924, and raised
in the Casa Blanca neighborhood in the City of Riverside,
California. On October 19, 1945, President Harry S. Truman
posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant
Villegas, presenting the medal to his surviving family. Staff
Sergeant Villegas was the first Riverside County resident to ever
receive the Medal of Honor and the first veteran to be buried at
the Riverside National Cemetery when the cemetery opened in
1978; and

WHEREAS, On March 1, 1945, Staff Sergeant Villegas’
company found itself engaged in combat against Japanese forces
at the Villa Verde Trail on the island of Luzon in the Philippines,
in what is known today as the Battle of Luzon. His squad was
attacked by an enemy machinegun nest. Staff Sergeant Villegas
took it upon himself to save his squad by destroying the nest and
its occupants. For these actions, Villegas was awarded the Silver
Star; and

WHEREAS, On March 20, 1945, Staff Sergeant Villegas was
leading his squad at Villa Verde Trail in Luzon in the Philippines,
his unit advancing in a forward position, when they suddenly
clashed with a strongly entrenched group of Japanese soldiers who
commanded the surrounding area and were hiding in caves and
foxholes. Staff Sergeant Villegas moved boldly from man to man,
in the face of bursting grenades and demolition charges, through
heavy machinegun and rifle fire, to bolster the spirit of his
comrades. Inspired by his gallantry, his men pressed forward to
the crest of the hill. Numerous enemy riflemen, refusing to flee,
continued firing from their foxholes; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Villegas upon his own initiative
attacked five enemy foxholes, killing all of the occupants, and was
mortally wounded when he attacked the sixth foxhole. Through
his heroism and indomitable fighting spirit, Staff Sergeant Villegas
inspired his men to a determined attack that swept the enemy from
the field; and

WHEREAS, The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) named Post
184 in Riverside, California, the “Ysmael R. Villegas Memorial
Casa Blanca Post” in his honor. A statue by sculptor Gary Courter,
called Villegas Memorial, was dedicated on May 27, 1995, and is
located on Main Street Civic Center Courtyard in the City of
Riverside. The Ysmael R. Villegas Middle School in the City of
Riverside is named in his honor; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Villegas was survived by his mother
and father, and by five brothers and six sisters. In 2014, at a
memorial service to commemorate the Mexican American veterans
from the historic Casa Blanca community in the City of Riverside,
five of Villegas’ sisters and one brother were in attendance:
Rafaela, Lottie, Helen, Martha, Pat, and Art; and

WHEREAS, Staff Sergeant Villegas was also awarded the Silver
Star, the Purple Heart, the American Campaign Medal, the
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal,
and the Philippine Liberation Medal; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Jesus S. Duran was born on July 26, 1948,
in Juarez, Mexico, and was the sixth of 12 siblings. He passed
away on February 17, 1977, and is survived by his daughter Tina
Duran-Ruvalcaba, who accepted the Medal of Honor on his behalf
from President Barack Obama on March 18, 2014, in a ceremony
at the White House. The following day, she received the Medal of
Honor flag from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in a ceremony
where Sergeant Duran was inducted into the Pentagon Hall of
Heroes; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Duran, like Staff Sergeant Lara, was one
of 24 veterans awarded the Medal of Honor through the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Duran joined the United States Army on
May 13, 1968, and was assigned to Company E, 2nd Battalion,
5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) to support Search
and Destroy missions. During his service in the Vietnam War,
Sergeant Duran distinguished himself during combat operations
against an armed enemy in the Republic of Vietnam on April 10,
1969; and

WHEREAS, On that afternoon, upon learning that two seriously
wounded troopers lay helplessly pinned down under harassing fire,
then-Specialist Four Jesus S. Duran assaulted the suppressive
enemy positions, firing deadly bursts on the run. Mounting his
weapon on a log, he fired directly into the enemy’s foxholes,
eliminating four and cutting down several others as they fled; and

WHEREAS, Specialist Four Duran then continued to pour
effective fire on the disorganized and fleeing enemy. His
extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call
of duty, as well as his acts of gallantry and intrepidity, were in
keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect
great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army;
and

WHEREAS, Jesus S. Duran achieved the rank of Sergeant and,
upon leaving the military, pursued a career as a corrections officer
at a juvenile detention center in the City of San Bernardino,
California. While working there, he dedicated numerous hours of
personal time to mentor youth and lead them on educational trips.
Sergeant Duran married twice and had two children. He loved
spending time with all of his family; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Duran also received the Bronze Star
Medal, the Air Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the
National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with
four Bronze Service Stars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the
Sharpshooter Marksmanship Badge with Auto Rifle and the
Browning Automatic Rifle “BAR” Machine Gun, the Marksman
Marksmanship Badge with Rifle Bar, the Vietnam Campaign
Medal with 1960 Device, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry
Cross Unit Citations with Palm Device; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates that
portion of State Highway Route 91 from Madison Street to begin delete the
State Highway Route 60, Interstate 215 interchange end delete begin insert Third Street end insert
in the County of Riverside as the Staff Sergeant Salvador J. Lara,
Staff Sergeant Ysmael R. Villegas, and Sergeant Jesus S. Duran
Memorial Highway; and be it further

Resolved, That the Department 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.