III

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 47

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MARCH 8, 2001

Received

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Honoring the 21 members of the National Guard who were

killed in the crash of a National Guard aircraft on March

3, 2001, in south-central Georgia.

Whereas a C–23 Sherpa National Guard aircraft crashed in

south-central Georgia on March 3, 2001, killing all 21

National Guard members on board;

Whereas of the 21 National Guard members on board, 18

were members of the Virginia Air National Guard from

the Hampton Roads area of Virginia returning home following two weeks of training duty in Florida and the
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other 3 were members of the Florida Army National

Guard who comprised the flight crew of the aircraft;

Whereas the Virginia National Guard members killed, all of

whom were members of the 203rd Red Horse Engineering Flight of Virginia Beach, Virginia, were Master Sergeant James Beninati, 46, of Virginia Beach, Virginia;

Staff Sergeant Paul J. Blancato, 38, of Norfolk, Virginia; Technical Sergeant Ernest Blawas, 47, of Virginia

Beach, Virginia; Staff Sergeant Andrew H. Bridges, 33,

of Chesapeake, Virginia; Master Sergeant Eric Bulman,

59, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Staff Sergeant Paul

Cramer, 43, of Norfolk, Virginia; Technical Sergeant Michael East, 40, of Parksley, Virginia; Staff Sergeant

Ronald Elkin, 43, of Norfolk, Virginia; Staff Sergeant

James Ferguson, 41, of Newport News, Virginia; Staff

Sergeant Randy Johnson, 40, of Emporia, Virginia; Senior Airman Mathrew Kidd, 23, of Hampton, Virginia;

Master Sergeant Michael Lane, 34, of Moyock, North

Carolina; Technical Sergeant Edwin Richardson, 48, of

Virginia Beach, Virginia; Technical Sergeant Dean Shelby, 39, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Staff Sergeant John

Sincavage, 27, of Chesapeake, Virginia; Staff Sergeant

Gregory Skurupey, 34, of Gloucester, Virginia; Staff Sergeant Richard Summerell, 51, of Franklin, Virginia; and

Major Frederick Watkins, III, 35, of Virginia Beach, Virginia;

Whereas the Florida National Guard members killed, all of

whom were members of Detachment 1, 1st Battalion,

171st Aviation, of Lakeland, Florida, were Chief Warrant

Officer John Duce, 49, of Orange Park, Florida; Chief

Warrant Officer Eric Larson, 34, of Land-O-Lakes, Flor-
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ida; and Staff Sergeant Robert Ward, 35, of Lakeland,

Florida;

Whereas these members of the National Guard were performing their duty in furtherance of the national security

interests of the United States;

Whereas the members of the Armed Forces, including the

National Guard, are routinely called upon to perform duties that place their lives at risk; and

Whereas the members of the National Guard who lost their

lives as a result of the aircraft crash on March 3, 2001,

died in the honorable service to the Nation and exemplified all that is best in the American people: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) honors the 18 members of the Virginia Air

4 National Guard and 3 members of the Florida Army

5 National Guard who were killed on March 3, 2001,

6 in the crash of a C–23 Sherpa National Guard air7 craft in south-central Georgia; and

8 (2) sends heartfelt condolences to their families,

9 friends, and loved ones.

Passed the House of Representatives March 7,

2001.

Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL,

Clerk.