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2007 SESSION

073832220
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 978
Offered February 19, 2007
Commending Sergeant Arthur Leo Woods IV.
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Patron-- Athey
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WHEREAS, United States Army Sergeant Arthur Leo Woods IV of Front Royal is honored for his brave and faithful service to his fellow soldiers and to all of the citizens of the Commonwealth and the nation during his service in Korea and two tours in Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom; and

WHEREAS, Arthur “Bunky” Woods graduated from Warren County High School in 2001 and soon after graduating, enlisted in the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, Bunky Woods’ personal goal was to serve his country for four years, attend Virginia Tech to earn a degree in landscape architecture, and return home to practice his profession in Front Royal; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Bunky Woods first served his country in South Korea for 18 months guarding the Korean Demilitarized Zone; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Bunky Woods bravely served two tours in Iraq, first deployed as a gunner on a Bradley IFV assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and then assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in the same unit that his grandfather served in during World War II; and

WHEREAS, because of his combat experience, Sergeant Bunky Woods was invaluable in training his platoon before deployment in Iraq and instrumental in the safe return home of his fellow soldiers; and

WHEREAS, when Sergeant Bunky Woods’ tour of duty was up, the armed forces issued a stop loss order, which extended his period of service to August 2007, and “always one to make the best of a situation,” he attended Army Ranger School and became an assault team leader; and

WHEREAS, as an experienced leader, Sergeant Bunky Woods often commanded his entire platoon and was involved in over 250 combat missions and over 100 escort missions; and

WHEREAS, near the end of his second tour of duty in Iraq, Sergeant Bunky Woods was shot and severely injured by a sniper’s bullet; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Bunky Woods underwent emergency surgery in Iraq to reconstruct his left jawbone and repair his esophagus and pharynx and then transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he received spine-stabilizing surgery for a traumatic spinal injury; he is currently in a rehabilitation program at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond; and

WHEREAS, Bunky Woods is supported in his recovery by his devoted parents, Connie and Art Woods, his loyal friends, and the congregation of Rivermount Baptist Church in Front Royal, where he is a longtime member; and

WHEREAS, during his distinguished military service, Sergeant Bunky Woods has been honored with many service medals, including two Purple Hearts, the Bronze Star medal, Army Commendation with Valor, Army Commendation with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement with six Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct medal, Iraq Campaign Expeditionary service medal, Global War on Terrorism medal, Korean Service medal, National Defense medal, The Order of the Spur in the 3rd Cavalry, and the St. Barbara Medal; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Bunky Woods’ military experience and training includes Airborne, Ranger, Pathfinder, Sniper, Air Assault, Jump Master, combat life saver, and close quarters combat; and

WHEREAS, a highly trained Army Ranger, Sergeant Bunky Woods, in service to his country and in his personal life, exemplifies mental, moral, and physical strength, as well as the core values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage attributed to members of the United States Army; and

WHEREAS, the citizens of the Commonwealth recognize the tremendous personal sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of their military service and will be forever indebted to Sergeant Bunky Woods for his valiant military service on behalf of the nation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and welcome home a greatly admired American hero and a patriotic Virginian, Sergeant Arthur Leo Woods IV; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Sergeant Arthur Leo Woods IV as an expression of the high esteem in which he is held by the members of the General Assembly and the citizens of the Commonwealth and sincere wishes for a successful recovery.