Bill Text: NY J00030 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulating Herbert C. Thorpe upon the occasion of celebrating his 100th Birthday

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-01-10 - ADOPTED [J00030 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J00030-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 30

BY: Senator GRIFFO

        CONGRATULATING Herbert C. Thorpe upon the occasion
        of celebrating his 100th Birthday

  WHEREAS,  Senior citizens bring a wealth of experience and knowledge
to the increasingly active roles they play  in  today's  society;  their
past  contributions  and  future  participation are a vital part of, and
valuable asset to, the fabric of community life and activity; and

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative  Body  to  commemorate
and  recognize  certain  milestones celebrated by citizens of this great
Empire State; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
congratulate Herbert C. Thorpe upon the occasion of his  100th  Birthday
to  be  celebrated Saturday, January 14, 2023, at the First Presbyterian
Church in Rome, New York; and

  WHEREAS,  Herbert  C.  Thorpe  was  born  on  January  9,  1923,  in
Manhattan,  New  York; raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York,
he is the second oldest of six children born  to  Barbadian  immigrants;
and

  WHEREAS,  After  graduating  from  Alexander  Hamilton  High School,
Herbert C.  Thorpe enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps,  working
as  a  typist  and  automotive  mechanic, before enlisting in the United
States Army Reserves in 1942; and

  WHEREAS, Upon completion of his basic training,  Herbert  C.  Thorpe
applied,  and  was accepted, to cadet school; in 1944, he arrived at the
Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to begin the rigorous  journey  to  become
one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen; and

  WHEREAS,  Herbert  C. Thorpe was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
Navigator Bombardier on December 30, 1944; because the Armed Air  Forces
were  not  integrating  multi-engine air crews then, he was sent back to
the Tuskegee Army Airfield where he went into advanced  flying  training
to  operate  multi-engine aircraft; Herbert C. Thorpe was then qualified
as a B-25 pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen; and

  WHEREAS, After an honorable discharge in  1946,  Herbert  C.  Thorpe
returned  to  Brooklyn,  New  York  where  he  worked  for  the Veterans
Administration and the United States Postal Service before enrolling  in
New  York University under the G.I. Bill; upon receiving his Bachelor of
Electronic Engineering degree in 1953, Herbert C. Thorpe was employed in
the Brooklyn Naval Yard as a radar engineer; it was then  in  1959  that
Herbert  C.  Thorpe  moved  with  his wife, Jessie Thorpe, and their two
children, to Rome, New York to work at the Griffiss Air Force Base until
his retirement in 1983; and

  WHEREAS, Imbued with the duty of serving  his  country  as  a  proud
Tuskegee  Airman,  Herbert C. Thorpe, along with his wife Jessie Thorpe,
was instrumental in the founding of the Rome, New York Branch NAACP  and

its  Afro-American  Heritage  Association;  both  Herbert  C. Thorpe and
Jessie Thorpe were well-known regional, cultural, civil and human rights
advocates for more than 50 years; and

  WHEREAS,  Herbert  C.  Thorpe  is  the recipient of numerous honors,
awards and recognitions  for  service  to  his  country  and  community,
including  the  New  York State Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian
Award in 2012 and a Rome Historical Society 1777 Medal of Honor Award in
2013; a lifelong patriot and never one to forget those who were integral
to him becoming the great man he is today, Herbert C.  Thorpe  continues
to be an active member of Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated, Claude D. Govan,
Tri-State Chapter, New York; and

  WHEREAS, Herbert C. Thorpe's indominable wife, Jessie Thorpe, passed
away  on May 25, 2020, after 69 years of marriage; however, he continues
to live on for both of them through the rejuvenating spirit of  his  two
children,   five   grandchildren,  one  great  grandson  and  two  great
granddaughters; and

  WHEREAS, With his zest for life  and  infallible  will,  Herbert  C.
Thorpe  has  inspired  and enhanced the lives of his family and friends;
and

  WHEREAS, This distinguished man has experienced the incredible  joys
and  sorrows  characteristic  of and reserved for those with the stamina
and courage to savor a full life; and

  WHEREAS, Herbert C. Thorpe has enriched the lives  of  those  around
him  through  his  joyous  and  sincere  love for others and through the
vibrant charm and infinite wisdom which comes only from  a  fullness  of
years; and

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  intent  of  this Legislative Body to publicly
recognize those who have reached such a  remarkable  age  and  who  have
witnessed  and  celebrated  the  innovations,  cultural developments and
incredible achievements of this country during the last  century,  while
themselves  contributing  to  the  growth  and  excellence of this great
Empire State; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
congratulate  Herbert  C.  Thorpe  upon  the occasion of celebrating his
100th Birthday; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to Herbert C. Thorpe.