PRINTER'S NO. 1513
No. 1228 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY SURRA, BEYER, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CREIGHTON,
GEORGE, GRUCELA, KENNEY, MAJOR, MANN, MOYER, PALLONE,
RAMALEY, RAPP, READSHAW, SAINATO, SCAVELLO, SEIP, SOLOBAY,
R. TAYLOR, VEREB, HESS, SANTONI, GALLOWAY, WOJNAROSKI, WALKO,
R. STEVENSON, HERSHEY, SAYLOR, PYLE AND REED, MAY 4, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MAY 4, 2007
AN ACT
1 Redesignating the Clarion River Bridge on Main Street in
2 Ridgway, Elk County, as Rear Admiral Paul H. Speer Bridge.
3 WHEREAS, Rear Admiral Paul H. Speer was born in Greensburg,
4 Pennsylvania, in 1928, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Speer of
5 Ridgway, Pennsylvania; and
6 WHEREAS, Admiral Speer began his naval career in 1946, when
7 he enlisted in the Naval Aviation College Program; and
8 WHEREAS, Following two years at Wisconsin State College,
9 Admiral Speer entered flight training in 1948 and was designated
10 a Naval Aviator in February 1950; and
11 WHEREAS, Admiral Speer's first assignment was with Air
12 Development Squadron Three at the Naval Air Station, Atlantic
13 City, New Jersey; and
14 WHEREAS, Admiral Speer was subsequently ordered to Fighter
15 Squadron 172 and participated in the introduction of the F-2H
16 Banshee into the Korean War, flying from USS Essex; and
1 WHEREAS, Rear Admiral Speer attended the General Line School,
2 Monterey, California, in 1953 and later became a flight
3 instructor in the Naval Air Training Command until 1955; and
4 WHEREAS, From July 1955 to February 1961, he served as a
5 division officer on USS Bon Homme Richard; Operations Officer,
6 Fighter Squadron 111; Operations Officer, Fleet Air Support
7 Squadron 8; and as a combat flight instructor with Fighter
8 Squadron 124; and
9 WHEREAS, Admiral Speer then attended the University of
10 California at Berkeley from January 1961 to June 1962, earning a
11 degree in Business Administration; and
12 WHEREAS, This assignment was followed by a tour as an
13 instructor with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at
14 Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; and
15 WHEREAS, He was named Executive Officer of Fighter Squadron
16 211 in 1965 and Commanding Officer in 1966; and
17 WHEREAS, During his tour, Fighter Squadron 211 won the Naval
18 Air Force, Pacific Combat "E" for excellence; and
19 WHEREAS, He served on the Staff of the Commander Carrier
20 Division Three in 1968 and 1969 prior to reporting to Miramar
21 Naval Air Station in California, training as a prospective Air
22 Wing Commander; and
23 WHEREAS, He took command of Attack Carrier Air Wing Eleven in
24 October 1969 and of Attack Carrier Air Wing Fourteen in January
25 1970, making a deployment on USS Constellation; and
26 WHEREAS, Following his selection to Captain in July 1970, he
27 reported to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations as the
28 Head, Program Budget Branch in the Aviation Plans and
29 Requirements Division; and
30 WHEREAS, Commencing in April 1972, he served as Commanding
20070H1228B1513 - 2 -
1 Officer of the command ship USS Blue Ridge, and one year later
2 assumed command of USS Constellation, then on its eighth
3 deployment to the Western Pacific; and
4 WHEREAS, Following his selection to flag rank, Rear Admiral
5 Speer assumed duties as Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Japan,
6 from October 1974 to April 1976; and
7 WHEREAS, He next served as Commander, Carrier Group One, and
8 in May 1978 he again returned to Washington and assumed duties
9 as Director, Aviation Plans and Requirements Division; and
10 WHEREAS, In June 1980, he became Assistant Deputy Chief of
11 Naval Operations, where he served before reporting to Supreme
12 Allied Commander Atlantic; and
13 WHEREAS, Rear Admiral Paul H. Speer, U.S. Navy, became Chief
14 of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic on August 13,
15 1981; and
16 WHEREAS, His personal awards include the Navy Cross, two
17 Legion of Merit awards, three Distinguished Flying Cross awards,
18 Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V", Air Medal, Navy Commendation
19 Medal with Combat "V", the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry and the
20 Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Government of Japan.
21 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
22 hereby enacts as follows:
23 Section 1. Designation of bridge.
24 The bridge known as the Clarion River Bridge on Main Street
25 in Ridgway, Elk County, is redesignated the Rear Admiral Paul H.
26 Speer Bridge.
27 Section 2. Markers to be erected.
28 The Department of Transportation shall erect suitable markers
29 on the Rear Admiral Paul H. Speer Bridge in Ridgway, Elk County.
30 Section 3. Effective date.
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1 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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