Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 202
CHAPTER 170
Relative to the PFC George Howell Memorial Highway.
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Filed with
Secretary of State
September 06, 2022.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 202, Robert Rivas.
PFC George Howell Memorial Highway.
This measure would designate a specified portion of State Route 101 in the County of Monterey as the PFC George Howell 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 the cost, to erect those signs.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
YES WHEREAS, Private First Class George Howell enlisted in the United States Army at 24 years of age; and
WHEREAS, Howell left Prunedale, California, for boot camp in Georgia in search of economic security for his wife and two small children, and training that might transfer to the civilian job market once his active duty enlistment was finished; and
WHEREAS, The Army seemed a natural fit for Howell, as his father, who died in 2001, served in the Army during the Vietnam War and other family members had also been in the military; and
WHEREAS, Howell signed up for a three-year term on active duty, followed by reserve duty; and
WHEREAS, After completing basic training, Howell's assigned unit, the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, was deployed from Fort Drum, New York, to Iraq; and
WHEREAS, While in Iraq, Howell was assigned as a driver in the motor pool, where his division had responsibility to provide security in the volatile Kirkuk region and assist in training Iraqi security forces; and
WHEREAS, On December 21, 2007, Howell was killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb outside Riyadh, north of Baghdad, in a blast that injured four other soldiers, two critically; and
WHEREAS, Howell was awarded a Purple Heart and the Army Service Ribbon for his commitment and sacrifice for his country; and
WHEREAS, Howell leaves behind his loving wife, Kristen, and two children, his son, Raiden, and daughter, Niya; and
WHEREAS, Howell's family and friends are extremely proud of his service to his country and his desire to provide for his family; and
WHEREAS, Private First Class George Howell will be missed by all who knew him; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature honor the memory of this fallen hero by designating the portion of State Route 101 in the County of Monterey, from the Sala Road Overcrossing, PM 92.190, to the Prunedale South Road Overcrossing, PM 94.071, as the PFC George Howell 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 that cost, to erect those signs; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author for appropriate distribution.