THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY WATERS, KIRKLAND, HENNESSEY, LONGIETTI, SONNEY, GEORGE, V. BROWN, THOMAS, KORTZ, DiGIROLAMO, CALTAGIRONE, BROOKS, VEREB, MILLARD, O'NEILL, NEILSON, BRIGGS, MICOZZIE, DALEY, DAY, COHEN, ELLIS, GINGRICH, MANN, SAYLOR, SANTARSIERO, STABACK, TOEPEL, HESS, GOODMAN, FABRIZIO, HAHN, COX, FLECK AND BRADFORD, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012  

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing August 27, 2012, as "LeRoy W. Homer, Jr. Day" in

Pennsylvania and honoring Mr. LeRoy W. Homer, Jr.'s

accomplishments and bravery as an inspiration for the next

generation of pilots.

WHEREAS, Mr. LeRoy Wilton Homer, Jr., was born on August 27,

1965, in Long Island, New York; and

WHEREAS, Growing up, Mr. Homer dreamed of becoming a pilot

and quickly realized his dream by beginning instruction at 15

years of age and obtaining his pilot's license by 18 years of

age; and

WHEREAS, On July 6, 1983, Mr. Homer entered the United States

Air Force Academy as a member of the class of 1987; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Homer graduated on May 27, 1987, and was

commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air

Force (USAF); and

WHEREAS, After completing his USAF pilot training in 1988,

Mr. Homer was assigned to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey,

flying a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Homer served in Operation Desert Storm and

Operation Desert Shield during the Persian Gulf War and risked

his life while flying humanitarian operations in Somalia; and

WHEREAS, Prior to his honorable discharge from active duty in

1995, Mr. Homer achieved the rank of captain; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Homer continued his military career as a member

of the United States Air Force Reserve, initially serving as a

C-141 instructor pilot with the 356th Airlift Squadron at

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Homer subsequently served as an academy liaison

officer and was charged with recruiting potential candidates for

both the Air Force Academy and the Air Force Reserve Officer

Training Corps; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Homer continued his flying career as a civilian

by joining United Airlines in May 1995 as second officer on the

Boeing 727; and

WHEREAS, In 1996, Mr. Homer was promoted to first officer on

the Boeing 757, where he remained until September 11, 2001; and

WHEREAS, On September 11, 2001, Mr. Homer and Captain Jason

M. Dahl were en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco,

California, on Flight 93 when their airplane was hijacked by

four Al Qaeda terrorists; and

WHEREAS, After learning of the earlier incidences at the

World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Mr. Homer and several crew

members and passengers attempted to fight off their captors and

reclaim the airplane, which resulted in a fatal crash in a field

in Shanksville; and

WHEREAS, For his actions on board Flight 93, Mr. Homer

received many awards and citations posthumously, including

honorary membership in the historic Tuskegee Airmen, the

Congress of Racial Equality's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award,

the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Drum Major for

Justice Award and the Westchester County Trailblazer Award; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, The LeRoy W. Homer, Jr. Foundation was

founded in honor of Mr. Homer's accomplishments and his passion

for flight; and

WHEREAS, The LeRoy W. Homer, Jr. Foundation encourages and

supports young adults who wish to pursue careers as professional

pilots and promotes awareness about aviation careers to

disadvantaged youth; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize August

27, 2012, as "LeRoy W. Homer, Jr. Day" in Pennsylvania and honor

Mr. LeRoy W. Homer, Jr.'s accomplishments and bravery as an

inspiration for the next generation of pilots.