WHEREAS, Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin and graduated from Franklin High School in the City of Stockton in 1964; and

WHEREAS, Despite being legally blind in one eye, Richard was motivated to serve his country after hearing President John F. Kennedy say, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” and was determined to enlist in the military; and

WHEREAS, After being declared medically unfit for combat by the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, Richard enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1965 by bluffing on his eye test, enlisting in the Marine Corps later that year; and

WHEREAS, After volunteering for a tour in Vietnam in 1966, Richard passed up an engineering position in order to be an infantryman; and

WHEREAS, On July 24, 1966, while Richard was serving as a lance corporal in Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, his unit was moving down a narrow jungle trail near the demilitarized zone when marines ahead of his position were attacked by a larger, concealed enemy force; and

WHEREAS, Upon hearing the attack, Richard grabbed a machine gun and belts of extra ammunition and rushed ahead, firing into the enemy position, and destroying two enemy automatic weapons as he continued to advance into a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to reach wounded marines 50 yards up the trail until, as Richard reached the position where the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Totally disregarding his own safety, Richard calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy soldiers with devastating machine gun fire until his machine gun failed; and

WHEREAS, Richard kept firing with a Vietnamese submachine gun and a pistol and, when he ran out of ammunition, he threw a grenade, his last remaining weapon, at the retreating North Vietnamese soldiers, and then returned to his platoon; and

WHEREAS, President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968; and

WHEREAS, After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton; and

WHEREAS, Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton; and

WHEREAS, Richard is survived by his wife, Patricia; four daughters: Gina Pittman, Tina Pittman-Carr, Julie Pittman, and Richelle Pittman-Kiyabu; his nephew, Brian Pittman, and nine grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of Richard Pittman’s service to this country, it would be fitting to designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton in his honor; now, therefore, be it