South Carolina General Assembly
122nd Session, 2017-2018
H. 3966
STATUS INFORMATION
Concurrent Resolution
Sponsors: Reps. Ridgeway, Alexander, Allison, Anderson, Anthony, Arrington, Atkinson, Atwater, Bales, Ballentine, Bamberg, Bannister, Bedingfield, Bennett, Bernstein, Blackwell, Bowers, Bradley, Brown, Burns, Caskey, Chumley, Clary, Clemmons, Clyburn, CobbHunter, Cogswell, Cole, Collins, Crawford, Crosby, Daning, Davis, Delleney, Dillard, Douglas, Duckworth, Elliott, Erickson, Felder, Finlay, Forrest, Forrester, Fry, Funderburk, Gagnon, Gilliard, Govan, Hamilton, Hardee, Hart, Hayes, Henderson, Henegan, Herbkersman, Hewitt, Hill, Hiott, Hixon, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Jefferson, Johnson, Jordan, King, Kirby, Knight, Loftis, Long, Lowe, Lucas, Mack, Magnuson, Martin, McCoy, McCravy, McEachern, McKnight, Mitchell, D.C.Moss, V.S.Moss, Murphy, B.Newton, W.Newton, Norrell, Ott, Parks, Pitts, Pope, Putnam, Quinn, M.Rivers, S.Rivers, RobinsonSimpson, Rutherford, Ryhal, Sandifer, Simrill, G.M.Smith, G.R.Smith, J.E.Smith, Sottile, Spires, Stavrinakis, Stringer, Tallon, Taylor, Thayer, Thigpen, Toole, Weeks, West, Wheeler, Whipper, White, Whitmire, Williams, Willis and Yow
Document Path: l:\council\bills\gm\24944vr17.docx
Introduced in the House on March 13, 2017
Introduced in the Senate on March 14, 2017
Adopted by the General Assembly on March 14, 2017
Summary: Donald "Don" Leo Ralph
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
DateBodyAction Description with journal page number
3/13/2017HouseIntroduced, adopted, sent to Senate (House Journalpage10)
3/14/2017SenateIntroduced, adopted, returned with concurrence (Senate Journalpage12)
View the latest legislative information at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
3/13/2017
ACONCURRENT RESOLUTION
TO CONGRATULATEDONALD “DON” LEO RALPH OF CLARENDON COUNTY ON THE OCCASION OF HIS NINETYFIFTH BIRTHDAY AND TO WISH HIM A JOYOUS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AND CONTINUED HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly are delighted to learn that Don Ralphwill celebrate hisninetyfifthbirthday on March 20, 2017; and
Whereas, born in the early part of the twentieth century, he has seen many remarkable social changes, technological advancements, and international developments that have spanned the globe from that time into the second decade of the twentyfirst century; and
Whereas, soon after hehad turnedeighteen, Don Ralph enlisted in the medical department of the United States Army Air Corps in July 1940,in the proud tradition of the sons of South Carolina, and was sworn in at Fort Knox on July 4, 1940; and
Whereas, when he enlisted hehad been offered duty in either Hawaii or the Philippines. He chose Hawaii at the suggestion of a mentor who told him the girls there had those grass skirts; and
Whereas, even thoughthere had been some talk about the war in Asia and Western Europe, few people thought the United States was vulnerable to invasion; and
Whereas, at Hickam Field in Pearl Harbor, heworked out of an old wooden building used as adispensary until completion of the new hospitalin November 1941, where the staff celebrated Thanksgiving dinner, his annual reminder of the gruesome event to follow; and
Whereas, he had been stationed at Pearl Harbor for a little more than a year at the time of the infamous attack, when three hundredJapanese airplanes and anaval fleetsurprised the military base that tranquil morning; and
Whereas, only nineteen years old on the fateful Sunday,December 7, 1941, Don Ralph was working as an Xray technician at the hospital and was transporting equipment to and from the facility when at 7:55 in the morning, the Japanese destruction began; and
Whereas, his commanding officer ordered him and other medical personnel to secure their field packs, fill their canteens with water, and fall out in front of the dispensary. They beganretrieving the wounded and the dead, giving first aid at the scene, and taking them five at a time to the hospital, only to repeat it again and again; and
Whereas, the mess hall wherehe had eaten that morning was destroyed, and ablebodied soldiers who survived the attack spent several days removing their fallen brothers from the demolished building; and
Whereas, Don Ralph who as a teenager had been restless at home on the family farm served his country with distinction, for which he was issued a citation, a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star; and
Whereas, later when he was stationed on Okinawa, he made time to lead a Cub Scout troop and coach Little League baseball. When he returned to Clarendon, believing the Lord has him on the earth to help people, he drove a van from Sumter to the Dorn Veteran Affairs Medical Center twice a month for over a decade; and
Whereas, Don Ralph believes he may be the last Pearl Harbor survivor in Clarendon County and the surrounding areas; and
Whereas, the South Carolina General Assemblyis pleased to honor this noble son of South Carolina at the celebration of his ninetyfifth birthday, and the members join his family and friends tocommend him on reaching this extraordinary milestone. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, congratulate Donald “Don” Leo Ralphof ClarendonCounty on the occasion of his ninetyfifth birthday and wish him a joyous birthday celebration and continued health and happiness.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be provided to Donald “Don” Leo Ralph.
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