Committee Substitute
for
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 85
(By Delegates Dean, Steele, Maynor, Bridges, W. Clark, Hornby, Butler, Heckert, Vance, Eldridge, and Worrell)
[Originating in the Committee on Energy and Public Works; Reported on March 20, 2025]
Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number: 30-010/01-000.02 () (30A050), (37.55534, -81.96599) locally known as Wharncliffe Box Beam, carrying CR 010/01 over Bens Creek in Mingo County, the "U.S. Army Corporal Lavern “Mousey” Testerman Memorial Bridge".
Whereas, Lavern "Mousey" Testerman was born on July 3, 1918; and
Whereas, Lavern was from the small town of Whitetop, Virginia. After joining the U.S. Army, but before shipping out of San Francisco, California, he came to visit Wharncliffe, West Virginia with a friend who would later become his brother-in- law. He fell in love with his-soon-to-be wife, Virginia Stanley and the mountains of West Virginia. Lavern and Virginia had four children: Carol Faries, Gay Chapman, Virgil Testerman, and Debbie Dean; they also had six grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren; and
Whereas, Corporal Testerman enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941 where he served on the front lines during the Liberation of the Philippines, and upon completion of that term, he re-enlisted and served a second term on the front lines in the Philippines; and
Whereas, During his two enlistments and the liberation of two Philippine islands, Corporal Testerman received numerous awards including the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts from being shot in two different battles, the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Philippine Liberation Medal by the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of the Philippines Presidential Unit Citation, a Combat Infantryman Badge, and an Expert Rifleman Badge;
Whereas, Corporal Testerman's most distinguished award was a Bronze Star. His platoon had been up for two days, and he was assigned the first night watch. To ensure he didn't fall asleep he pulled the pin on a grenade and held down the strike plate. He was able to warn his platoon they were about to be overrun, thus saving his whole platoon and company of over 120 soldiers; and
Whereas, After the war, Corporal Testerman started working in the mining industry in 1946 and worked in the coal industry as a welder until his retirement in 1973 due to black lung disease; and
Whereas, Corporal Testerman spent the remainder of his life in Wharncliffe, West Virginia; and
Whereas, Corporal Testerman passed away on October 14, 1994; and
Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate U.S. Army Corporal Lavern "Mousey" Testerman and his contributions to our state and country; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number: 30-010/01-000.02 () (30A050), (37.55534, -81.96599) locally known as Wharncliffe Box Beam, carrying CR 010/01 over Bens Creek in Mingo County, the "U.S. Army Corporal Lavern "Mousey" Testerman Memorial Bridge"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the "U.S. Army Corporal Lavern "Mousey" Testerman Memorial Bridge"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.