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2024 SESSION

24104183D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 267
Offered February 27, 2024
Celebrating the life of Colonel William Joseph Flanagan, Jr., USA, Ret.
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Patrons-- Cherry, Austin, Bloxom, Coyner, Fowler, Freitas, Garrett, Gilbert, Hodges, Kilgore, Knight, Leftwich, Marshall, Orrock, Taylor, Wachsmann, Ware, Webert, Wright and Wyatt; Senator: Sturtevant
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WHEREAS, Colonel William Joseph Flanagan, Jr., USA, Ret., a distinguished veteran who worked diligently to support his fellow members of the military and who provided his exceptional leadership abilities to the Commonwealth as a longtime chief of staff for a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, died on December 3, 2023; and

WHEREAS, William “Bill” Joseph Flanagan, Jr., grew up in Saratoga Springs, a resort town in upstate New York, where he worked at his family’s hotel properties, and he met his wife, Diane, while she was attending nearby Skidmore College; and

WHEREAS, Bill Flanagan received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, where he was a member of the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps; he later earned a master’s degree from the University of Delaware and subsequently graduated from the United States Army War College; and

WHEREAS, Bill Flanagan began his military career after graduating from Cornell University in 1960 and spent the next 30 years serving the nation; during that time period, he and his family lived in 22 different homes across the United States, as well as in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, known for his organizational skills and attention to detail, Bill Flanagan spent most of his career in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps, where he spearheaded several innovative processes to support his fellow members of the military; and

WHEREAS, Bill Flanagan became the first chief of the Office of the Quartermaster General and helped re-establish the Quartermaster Regiment and training programs for quartermaster occupational specialties; and

WHEREAS, Bill Flanagan also served as the first chief of staff of the Defense Commissary Agency at what is now Fort Gregg-Adams; he was handpicked to develop an integrated commissary system with an annual budget of more than $7 billion, and his innovative leadership ensured the continual viability of the system, which now serves more than 1.5 million service members and their families worldwide; and

WHEREAS, Bill Flanagan earned numerous awards and decorations over the course of his outstanding military career, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service Medal, among others, and he was inducted into the Army Quartermaster Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Bill Flanagan cultivated a lifelong commitment to supporting his fellow soldiers, veterans, and their families, serving as president of the Virginia chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, as a founding member of American Veterans Vote, and a member of several other veterans advocacy organizations; in addition, he volunteered at the Virginia War Memorial and was a member of the Quartermaster Museum Foundation board for three decades; and

WHEREAS, seeking new opportunities to serve the Commonwealth after his retirement from the military, Bill Flanagan became a legislative aide and chief of staff to the Honorable Kirk Cox, former speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates; and

WHEREAS, with Bill Flanagan’s guidance, Delegate Cox’s office submitted more legislation focused on military issues and supporting veterans than several members of the General Assembly combined; and

WHEREAS, Bill Flanagan was involved with the Colonial Heights Republican Committee for many years, serving two terms as chair; he also chaired Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District Republican Committee and was a longtime member of the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of his personal and professional achievements in service to Central Virginia, the Commonwealth as a whole, and the nation, Bill Flanagan was named as a Hometown Hero by the Colonial Heights Chamber of Commerce in 2018 and was honored by the Republican National Committee in 2022; and

WHEREAS, Bill Flanagan was a man of deep and abiding faith throughout his life, participated in various ministries in his church community, and was a fourth degree knight in the Knights of Columbus; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his beloved wife of more than 60 years, Diane, Bill Flanagan will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Michael (Melia), Christopher (Lucila), William III, and Taimi, and their families, and numerous other family members, friends, and colleagues; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Colonel William Joseph Flanagan, Jr., USA, Ret.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Colonel William Joseph Flanagan, Jr., USA, Ret., as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.