Bill Text: CA ACR54 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Kevin R. Ebbert SO1 Navy SEAL Memorial Highway.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-07-09 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 97, Statutes of 2015. [ACR54 Detail]
Download: California-2015-ACR54-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: ACR 54 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 97
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 9, 2015
ADOPTED IN SENATE JULY 2, 2015
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 4, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Wood
(Principal coauthor: Senator McGuire)
APRIL 9, 2015
Relative to the Kevin R. Ebbert SO1 Navy SEAL Memorial Highway.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 54, Wood. Kevin R. Ebbert SO1 Navy SEAL Memorial Highway.
This measure would designate a specified portion of Highway 101 in
the County of Humboldt near the City of Arcata as the Kevin R.
Ebbert SO1 Navy SEAL Memorial Highway. The measure would request the
Department of Transportation to determine the cost for appropriate
signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations
from nonstate sources covering that cost, to erect those signs.
WHEREAS, Kevin R. Ebbert was born on January 23, 1980, grew up in
Arcata, California, and graduated from Arcata High School. He enjoyed
the outdoors, including backpacking, rafting, and later Ultimate
Frisbee. He also had a passion for music and reading. Kevin graduated
from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a bachelor's
degree in music, receiving honors in musical composition; and
WHEREAS, Kevin was a dedicated student of life and was known for
researching a topic thoroughly. He was always true to his word and
lived by his values without imposing them on others. Kevin was known
as a gentle soul who was tough as nails, but who grew into a caring
man who lived by his ideals and was committed to helping others; and
WHEREAS, Kevin later became an active duty Navy SEAL and corpsman.
He hoped to build on his training as a corpsman to pursue a career
as a physician. On December 31, 2011, Kevin married Ursula (Jansson)
Ebbert, also from Arcata, California. The couple shared a love of the
outdoors, had recently purchased their first home, and enjoyed many
family gatherings; and
WHEREAS, While leading his element on Saturday, November 24, 2012,
in support of stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan,
a mountainous area in the center of the country, Kevin's team was
ambushed from above. Kevin left the security of cover to radio for
air support. In doing so he was killed by a sniper. Kevin's actions
allowed ground and air personnel to support and retrieve the
remaining team members with no other loss of life; and
WHEREAS, Kevin was a member of Naval Special Warfare Unit Group 2,
on his second deployment to Afghanistan, and was six weeks from
returning to the United States. He had been accepted at Old Dominion
University in Norfolk, Virginia, where he was to finish his training
as a corpsman and become a physician. During his first deployment, he
held medical clinics for Afghan villagers and found that work to be
very rewarding. During this last deployment, Kevin spent his off-duty
time on base serving in the medical center alongside doctors and
surgeons. He had also reached out to Rotary International and Doctors
Without Borders for opportunities to serve in clinics abroad; and
WHEREAS, Kevin was highly decorated by the United States Navy. He
received all of the following awards: two Bronze Stars with "V"
Device, the Purple Heart, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Marine
Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Marine
Corps Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, two Good Conduct
Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign
Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, two Sea Service
Deployment Ribbons, the NATO ISAF Medal, the Expert Rifle
Marksmanship Medal, and the Expert Pistol Marksmanship Medal; and
WHEREAS, A memorial service was held to honor Kevin's life on
Sunday, December 9, 2012, at Humboldt State University in Arcata,
California. Kevin is survived by his wife, Ursula Ebbert, his mother
Charlie Jordan and sister Samantha Ebbert Martinez, as well as
stepsisters Amy Funk and Kate Renner, stepfather Mark Ritz,
mother-in-law Susan Jansson, father-in-law Erik Jansson, and
grandfathers Richard Ebbert and James Jordan. Kevin was a second
generation Navy SEAL, following in the footsteps of his father
Jeffrey Ebbert (deceased) and his uncle James Ebbert; and
WHEREAS, Designating a portion of Highway 101 in the County of
Humboldt with memorial signs for Special Warfare Operator 1st Class
Kevin R. Ebbert as the Kevin R. Ebbert SO1 Navy SEAL Memorial Highway
would be appropriate for a local American hero; now, therefore, be
it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates that
portion of Highway 101 in the County of Humboldt from post mile 85.35
to post mile 86.28 near the City of Arcata as the Kevin R. Ebbert
SO1 Navy SEAL Memorial Highway; and be it further
Resolved, That the Department of Transportation is requested to
determine the cost of erecting appropriate signs, consistent with the
signing requirements for the state highway system, showing this
special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate
sources covering that cost, to erect those signs; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the Director of Transportation and to the author
for appropriate distribution.
