BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: ACR 60
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Gilmore
VERSION: 4/13/09
Analysis by: Mark Stivers FISCAL: Yes
Hearing date: June 9, 2009
SUBJECT:
Larry Stanley Pierce Memorial Highway
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates the portion of State Route (SR) 46
within the city limits of Wasco in Kern County as the Larry
Stanley Pierce Memorial Highway.
ANALYSIS:
The committee has adopted a policy regarding the naming of state
highways or structures. Under the policy, the committee will
consider only those resolutions that meet all of the following
criteria:
The person being honored must have provided extraordinary
public service or some exemplary contribution to the public
good and have a connection to the community where the highway
is located.
The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs for
signs and plaques must be paid by local or private sources.
The author or co-author of the resolution must represent the
district in which the facility is located and the resolution
must identify the specific highway segment or structure being
named.
The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus
and be without local opposition.
The proposed designation may not supersede an existing
designation unless the sponsor can document that a good faith
effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the prior
designation.
ACR 60 (GILMORE) Page 2
This resolution designates the portion of State Route (SR) 46
within the city limits of Wasco in Kern County as the Larry
Stanley Pierce Memorial Highway. The resolution further
requests the Department of Transportation to erect appropriate
signs upon receiving donations from non-state sources to cover
the costs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose of the resolution . By naming a segment of SR 46 for
Larry Stanley Pierce, this resolution seeks to memorialize the
Staff Sergeant's bravery and ultimate sacrifice in service of
his country in Vietnam.
2.Staff Sergeant Pierce's contributions . On September 20, 1965,
at the age of 24, Larry Stanley Pierce was serving as a
sergeant in charge of a reconnaissance platoon of the 1st
Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade of the U.S. Army near
Ben Cat in Vietnam when his platoon was ambushed by hostile
forces with machine gun fire. Sergeant Pierce and his platoon
routed the ambushing party and gave chase to the remaining
enemy forces. Sergeant Pierce's squad came upon a dirt road
and, as the main body of his men entered the road, Sergeant
Pierce discovered an antipersonnel mine in the road bed.
Realizing that the mine could destroy the majority of his
squad, Sergeant Pierce saved the lives of his 29 men at the
sacrifice of his life by throwing himself directly onto the
mine as it exploded. For his actions, President Johnson
posthumously awarded Sergeant Pierce the Medal of Honor and
promoted him to Staff Sergeant, citing his conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond
the call of duty. Staff Sergeant Pierce was laid to rest in
Wasco Memorial Park. In 2008, the federal government renamed
the United States Postal Service facility in Taft as the Larry
S. Pierce Post Office.
3.Consistent with committee's policy . This resolution is
consistent with all the provisions of the committee's policy
on highway designations.
4.Technical amendment . On page 2, line 24 after "the" insert
"Medal of Honor Recipient"
ACR 60 (GILMORE) Page 3
Assembly Votes:
Floor: 73-0
Appr: 16-0
Trans: 13-0
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
June 3, 2009)
SUPPORT: City of Wasco (sponsor)
Cruz Rodriguez, Wasco Post Commander of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars
OPPOSED: None received.