2013 -- H 6118

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013

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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

HONORING CAPTAIN LEWIS LOCKHART

FOR HIS HEROISM DURING WORLD WAR II

     Introduced By: Representatives Martin, Gallison, Abney, Newberry, and Fox

     Date Introduced: May 15, 2013

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, While in New Guinea during World War II, Captain Lewis Lockhart joined

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the 39th Fighter Squadron, a group that was formed in WWI by flyers such as Jimmy Doolittle

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and Eddie Rickenbacker; and

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     WHEREAS, Captain Lockhart endangered his life daily by flying through the 13,000 foot

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peaks of the Owen Stanley Mountains in New Guinea to bomb and strafe the Japanese 9th Fleet

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Headquarters on Kairiru Island; and

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     WHEREAS, The 39th Fighter Squadron cut off transport ships from mainland Japan and

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totally destroyed Japanese planes and ships at Wewak, New Guinea; and

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     WHEREAS, Conditions became so bad for Japanese soldiers and sailors stationed on

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Kairiru Island that they fantasized about food and painted chickens green to camouflage them

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from the repeated air attacks by the 39th Fighter Squadron; and

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     WHEREAS, Captain Lockhart flew in some of the toughest combat cover missions in

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Hollandia and Rabaul; and

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     WHEREAS, Captain Lockhart had to make an emergency landing in his P-38 after one of

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his engines was destroyed in a combat mission over Rabaul; and

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     WHEREAS, Captain Lockhart flew as flight leader when the 39th covered a major

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parachute drop in the Markham Valley, New Guinea; and

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     WHEREAS, Captain Lockhart led the bombing and strafing mission on May 27, 1944,

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when 2nd Lt. Robert E. Thorpe was reported missing. Captain Lockhart and 2nd Lt. Fred Tobi went

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looking for Lt. Thorpe in hazardous flying conditions when the entire squadron was grounded;

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and

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     WHEREAS, Captain Lockhart flew as wingman when his squadron leader had to bail out

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and escape from hostile natives in New Guinea, a story that was captured in the documentary,

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“Injury Slight”; and

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     WHEREAS, Captain Lockhart flew a total of 171 combat missions in the P-38 and the P-

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47; and

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     WHEREAS, As a testimony to Captain Lockhart’s heroic service to our nation during

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World War II, he received the Air Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters; and

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     WHEREAS, The 39th Fighter Squadron, together with other units of the 5th Air Force, is

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credited with preventing New Guinea, and probably Australia, from falling into Japanese hands

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during the early years of the war in the Pacific; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby expresses our gratitude to Captain Lewis Lockhart for his service

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to our nation during the darkest days of World War II; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this House respectfully requests the Governor to honor Captain Lewis

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Lockhart for his extraordinary heroism in the service of our nation, in particular for his efforts to

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save 2nd Lt. Robert E. Thorpe, a Rhode Island hero who lost his life after flying a combat mission

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for the 39th Fighter Squadron; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Governor Lincoln Chafee and Captain Lewis

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Lockhart.

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