Senate Resolution 41 - Introduced

PAG LIN





  1  1                SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2      BY  LARSON, WARNSTADT, IVERSON, and GRONSTAL
  1  3 A Resolution to recognize the life and accomplishments
  1  4    of Colonel Virgil D. Olson, United States Marine
  1  5    Corps=Retired.
  1  6    WHEREAS, Colonel Virgil D. Olson, a man of humble
  1  7 background, worked throughout his life serving freedom
  1  8 and advancing the public good, having served in the
  1  9 United States Marine Corps as a naval aviator and as
  1 10 the first helicopter pilot assigned to the President
  1 11 of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower; and
  1 12    WHEREAS, Colonel Virgil D. Olson began his life in
  1 13 Charter Oak, Iowa, graduating from Charter Oak High
  1 14 School in 1937, after which he enrolled in Willamette
  1 15 University and subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Navy
  1 16 at Salem, Oregon, on April 7, 1941, being commissioned
  1 17 as a Second Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps, after
  1 18 flight school; and
  1 19    WHEREAS, Colonel Virgil D. Olson flew torpedo
  1 20 bombers in the Solomon Islands until May 1944, when he
  1 21 returned to the United States to marry his college
  1 22 sweetheart, Jean Rodgers, returning again to the
  1 23 Pacific theater of World War II in May 1945 to fly
  1 24 combat missions in the Palau Islands, the Philippines,
  1 25 and Okinawa, and over Tsingtao, China; and
  1 26    WHEREAS, Colonel Virgil D. Olson served a tour on
  1 27 Guam after World War II, attended amphibious warfare
  1 28 school, and later was ordered to helicopter training
  1 29 and served a tour in Korea followed by an assignment
  1 30 to Naval Air Training Command in Pensacola, Florida;
  2  1 and
  2  2    WHEREAS, in 1955, Colonel Virgil D. Olson became
  2  3 the Commanding Officer of Marine Experimental
  2  4 Helicopter Squadron One (HMX=1) at Quantico, Virginia;
  2  5 and
  2  6    WHEREAS, in 1957, HMX=1 was designated the official
  2  7 helicopter squadron for the President of the United
  2  8 States of America; and
  2  9    WHEREAS, flying Sikorsky helicopters, Colonel
  2 10 Virgil D. Olson was the sole individual assigned as
  2 11 helicopter pilot for the President of the United
  2 12 States; and
  2 13    WHEREAS, in 1959, Colonel Virgil D. Olson completed
  2 14 the Senior Officers' Course at the Marine Corps School
  2 15 at Quantico, and was named Air Boss and Commanding
  2 16 Officer of the Marine detachment aboard the carrier
  2 17 USS Boxer; and
  2 18    WHEREAS, Colonel Virgil D. Olson served at the
  2 19 Pentagon in the Office of the Chief of Naval
  2 20 Operations, became the Commanding Officer of Marine
  2 21 Helicopter Training Group=30, served as Chief of Staff
  2 22 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in El Toro,
  2 23 California; and
  2 24    WHEREAS, Colonel Virgil D. Olson served as Chief of
  2 25 Staff of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in DaNang,
  2 26 Vietnam, and returned to Quantico as Chief of Staff,
  2 27 Marine Corps Education and Development Command, before
  2 28 retiring in July 1973; and
  2 29    WHEREAS, Colonel Virgil D. Olson's decorations
  2 30 include two Distinguished Flying Crosses, seven Air
  3  1 Medals, the Legion of Merit with Combat V, and the
  3  2 Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm; and
  3  3    WHEREAS, on February 26, 2005, Colonel Virgil D.
  3  4 Olson attained the age of 86 years; NOW THEREFORE,
  3  5    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate
  3  6 congratulates retired Colonel Virgil D. Olson for his
  3  7 lifetime of achievements and honors him for his many
  3  8 decades of service to the United States of America.
  3  9 LSB 3600SS 81
  3 10 jr:rj/pj/5