H.C.R. 16 Enrolled

1

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING UTAH HIGHWAY PATROL USE
2 OF WHITE CROSSES OR OTHER APPROPRIATE
3 SYMBOLS AS ROADSIDE MEMORIALS
4 2011 GENERAL SESSION
5 STATE OF UTAH
6 Chief Sponsor: Lee B. Perry
7 Senate Sponsor: Daniel W. Thatcher
8 Cosponsors:
9 Roger E. Barrus
10 Derek E. Brown
11 Melvin R. Brown
12 David G. Butterfield
13 David Clark
14 Fred C. Cox
15 Bradley M. Daw
16 Brad L. Dee
17 Jack R. Draxler
18 Susan Duckworth
19 Rebecca P. Edwards
20 Steve Eliason
21 Janice M. Fisher
22 Julie FisherGage Froerer
Brad J. Galvez
Francis D. Gibson
Richard A. Greenwood
Keith Grover
Stephen G. Handy
Wayne A. Harper
Christopher N. Herrod
Don L. Ipson
Todd E. Kiser
Bradley G. Last
John G. Mathis
Kay L. McIff
Ronda Rudd Menlove
Michael T. MorleyMerlynn T. Newbold
Curtis Oda
Jeremy A. Peterson
Val L. Peterson
Marie H. Poulson
Kraig Powell
Paul Ray
Holly J. Richardson
Stephen E. Sandstrom
Kenneth W. Sumsion
Mark A. Wheatley
Ryan D. Wilcox
Larry B. Wiley
Carl Wimmer
Bill Wright 23
24 LONG TITLE
25 General Description:
26 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor supports the placement
27 of white crosses or other appropriate symbols as roadside memorials to honor patrol
28 officers killed in the line of duty.
29 Highlighted Provisions:
30 This resolution:
31 . expresses continued support for the Utah Highway Patrol's placement of white
32 crosses, or other appropriate symbols as requested by the family of a deceased patrol
33 officer, as memorials to highway patrol officers who have been killed in the line of

34 duty.
35 Special Clauses:
36 None
37
38 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
39 WHEREAS, since the statutory creation of the Utah Highway Patrol in 1923, 14
40 highway patrol officers have been killed in the line of duty;
41 WHEREAS, the 14 Utah Highway Patrolmen who have been killed in the line of duty
42 are Patrolman George "Ed" VanWagenen and Troopers Armond A. "Monty" Luke, George Dee
43 Rees, Charles D. Warren, John R. Winn, William J. Antoniewicz, Robert B. Hutchings, Ray
44 Lynn Pierson, Daniel W. Harris, Joseph "Joey" S. Brumett III, Dennis "Dee" Lund, Doyle R.
45 Thorne, Randy K. Ingram, and Thomas S. Rettberg;
46 WHEREAS, for the families of these officers who have paid the ultimate price for their
47 service, there is often very little that can be done to stem the tide of their grief and suffering, or
48 to help them move on with their lives;
49 WHEREAS, the families of these officers killed in the line of duty have been involved
50 in, and have supported, the creation of roadside memorials placed near the location of the
51 incidents that caused these deaths by the Utah Highway Patrol Association (UHPA), a private
52 fraternal organization whose mission includes protecting the rights of widows and orphans of
53 deceased members;
54 WHEREAS, each memorial represents a Utah Highway Patrol officer who died in the
55 line of duty and service to the state of Utah and its citizens;
56 WHEREAS, a white cross has become widely accepted as a symbol of a death, and not
57 a religious symbol, when placed along a highway;
58 WHEREAS, the memorials remind the citizens of Utah and this nation of the price that
59 is too often paid for safety and freedom;
60 WHEREAS, the memorials also console the family members left behind, who too often
61 consist of young mothers and young children;

62 WHEREAS, the primary feature of the memorials is a white cross, which was never
63 intended as a religious symbol, but as a symbol of the sacrifice made by these highway patrol
64 officers;
65 WHEREAS, the beehive emblem, which is also the official state emblem, is attached to
66 the cross because the emblem is worn as part of the official Utah Highway Patrol uniform;
67 WHEREAS, the purchase and placement of these memorials has been accomplished
68 through the Utah Highway Patrol Association, with private funds only; and
69 WHEREAS, given the heartfelt yet nonsectarian intentions of the memorials, removing
70 or tampering with them would clearly convey an absence of concern, respect, and recognition
71 of the sacrifices made by these officers and their families:
72 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
73 Governor concurring therein, express support for the Utah Highway Patrol's and the Utah
74 Highway Patrol Association's use of white crosses, or other appropriate symbols as requested
75 by the family, as roadside memorials as a means to pay tribute to the heroes from the ranks of
76 the Utah Highway Patrol who have fallen and to their families.
77 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the surviving
78 spouse or nearest relative of each Utah Highway Patrol Officer who has been killed in the line
79 of duty and service to the citizens of Utah, the Utah Highway Patrol, and the Utah Highway
80 Patrol Association.