Bill Text: VA HJR903 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2019-02-23 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ903ER) [HJR903 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2019-HJR903-Introduced.html
WHEREAS, for more than 100 years, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown has played a vital role in the defense of the Commonwealth and the nation as a weapons and ammunition storage and loading facility for the United States Atlantic Fleet; and
WHEREAS, originally known as Navy Mine Depot Yorktown, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown was created by order of President Woodrow Wilson on August 7, 1918, and was established on land belonging to York County and what was formerly Warwick County; and
WHEREAS, initial construction of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown was completed for $3 million and included a mine-loading plant, magazines for storage, a power plant, a machine shop, barracks, administrative buildings, and a railroad system connecting the base to local railways and an ordnance pier; and
WHEREAS, in the early days of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, barges were loaded with munitions and towed ships anchored in the York River or at Naval Station Norfolk; the original ordnance pier suffered damage from a hurricane in 1933 and a fire in 1954 and was replaced by the current U-shaped pier in 1962; and
WHEREAS, during World War II, there were 94 officers, 890 enlisted personnel, and 250 Marines assigned to Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, supported by a civilian workforce of more than 2,300 people; in 2018, the station was home to more than 5,000 military and civilian personnel, accounting for significant contributions to the economic vitality of the region and the local community; and
WHEREAS, today, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown provides handling, maintenance, storage, research, and development for explosive ordnance, as well as expeditionary logistics training and operations and warfare training; and
WHEREAS, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown hosts 37 tenant commands, including the Navy Munitions Command Atlantic, the Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity, the Marine Corps Security Force Regiment, Fleet Industrial Supply Center, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, Naval Expeditionary Medical Support Command, Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One, and many others; and
WHEREAS, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown commemorated its centennial with an open house event on August 10, 2018, featuring live music, historical displays by tenant commands, and a time capsule opening; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Naval Weapons Station Yorktown on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Captain Matthew Kosnar, commanding officer of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the role in supporting the local community and contributions to national defense.
