This measure would designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources to cover that cost, to erect those signs.

This measure would designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources to cover that cost, to erect those signs.

This measure would designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the Department of Transportation to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources to cover that cost, to erect those signs.

WHEREAS, Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin and graduated from Franklin High School in the City of Stockton in 1964; and

WHEREAS, Despite being legally blind in one eye, Richard was motivated to serve his country after hearing President John F. Kennedy say, Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country, and was determined to enlist in the military; and

WHEREAS, After being declared medically unfit for combat by the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, Richard enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1965 by bluffing on his eye test, enlisting in the Marine Corps later that year; and

WHEREAS, After volunteering for a tour in Vietnam in 1966, Richard passed up an engineering position in order to be an infantryman; and

WHEREAS, On July 24, 1966, while Richard was serving as a lance corporal in Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, his unit was moving down a narrow jungle trail near the demilitarized zone when marines ahead of his position were attacked by a larger, concealed enemy force; and

WHEREAS, Upon hearing the attack, Richard grabbed a machine gun and belts of extra ammunition and rushed ahead, firing into the enemy position, and destroying two enemy automatic weapons as he continued to advance into a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to reach wounded marines 50 yards up the trail until, as Richard reached the position where the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Totally disregarding his own safety, Richard calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy soldiers with devastating machine gun fire until his machine gun failed; and

WHEREAS, Richard kept firing with a Vietnamese submachine gun and a pistol and, when he ran out of ammunition, he threw a grenade, his last remaining weapon, at the retreating North Vietnamese soldiers, and then returned to his platoon; and

WHEREAS, President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968; and

WHEREAS, After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton; and

WHEREAS, Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton; and

WHEREAS, Richard is survived by his wife, Patricia; four daughters: Gina Pittman, Tina Pittman-Carr, Julie Pittman, and Richelle Pittman-Kiyabu; his nephew, Brian Pittman, and nine grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of Richard Pittmans service to this country, it would be fitting to designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton in his honor; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman 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 signage 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.

WHEREAS, Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin and graduated from Franklin High School in the City of Stockton in 1964; and

WHEREAS, Despite being legally blind in one eye, Richard was motivated to serve his country after hearing President John F. Kennedy say, Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country, and was determined to enlist in the military; and

WHEREAS, After being declared medically unfit for combat by the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, Richard enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1965 by bluffing on his eye test, enlisting in the Marine Corps later that year; and

WHEREAS, After volunteering for a tour in Vietnam in 1966, Richard passed up an engineering position in order to be an infantryman; and

WHEREAS, On July 24, 1966, while Richard was serving as a lance corporal in Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, his unit was moving down a narrow jungle trail near the demilitarized zone when marines ahead of his position were attacked by a larger, concealed enemy force; and

WHEREAS, Upon hearing the attack, Richard grabbed a machine gun and belts of extra ammunition and rushed ahead, firing into the enemy position, and destroying two enemy automatic weapons as he continued to advance into a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to reach wounded marines 50 yards up the trail until, as Richard reached the position where the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Totally disregarding his own safety, Richard calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy soldiers with devastating machine gun fire until his machine gun failed; and

WHEREAS, Richard kept firing with a Vietnamese submachine gun and a pistol and, when he ran out of ammunition, he threw a grenade, his last remaining weapon, at the retreating North Vietnamese soldiers, and then returned to his platoon; and

WHEREAS, President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968; and

WHEREAS, After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton; and

WHEREAS, Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton; and

WHEREAS, Richard is survived by his wife, Patricia; four daughters: Gina Pittman, Tina Pittman-Carr, Julie Pittman, and Richelle Pittman-Kiyabu; his nephew, Brian Pittman, and nine grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of Richard Pittmans service to this country, it would be fitting to designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton in his honor; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman 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 signage 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.

WHEREAS, Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin and graduated from Franklin High School in the City of Stockton in 1964; and

WHEREAS, Despite being legally blind in one eye, Richard was motivated to serve his country after hearing President John F. Kennedy say, Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country, and was determined to enlist in the military; and

WHEREAS, After being declared medically unfit for combat by the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, Richard enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1965 by bluffing on his eye test, enlisting in the Marine Corps later that year; and

WHEREAS, After volunteering for a tour in Vietnam in 1966, Richard passed up an engineering position in order to be an infantryman; and

WHEREAS, On July 24, 1966, while Richard was serving as a lance corporal in Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, his unit was moving down a narrow jungle trail near the demilitarized zone when marines ahead of his position were attacked by a larger, concealed enemy force; and

WHEREAS, Upon hearing the attack, Richard grabbed a machine gun and belts of extra ammunition and rushed ahead, firing into the enemy position, and destroying two enemy automatic weapons as he continued to advance into a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to reach wounded marines 50 yards up the trail until, as Richard reached the position where the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Totally disregarding his own safety, Richard calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy soldiers with devastating machine gun fire until his machine gun failed; and

WHEREAS, Richard kept firing with a Vietnamese submachine gun and a pistol and, when he ran out of ammunition, he threw a grenade, his last remaining weapon, at the retreating North Vietnamese soldiers, and then returned to his platoon; and

WHEREAS, President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968; and

WHEREAS, After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton; and

WHEREAS, Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton; and

WHEREAS, Richard is survived by his wife, Patricia; four daughters: Gina Pittman, Tina Pittman-Carr, Julie Pittman, and Richelle Pittman-Kiyabu; his nephew, Brian Pittman, and nine grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of Richard Pittmans service to this country, it would be fitting to designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton in his honor; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman 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 signage 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.

 CONSENT  

Bill No: ACR 85

Author: Villapudua (D), et al.

Introduced: 5/24/23

Vote: 21

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 72-0, 2/26/24 - See last page for vote

SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: 15-0, 4/9/24

AYES: Cortese, Niello, Allen, Archuleta, Becker, Blakespear, Dahle, Dodd, Gonzalez, Limón, Newman, Nguyen, Portantino, Seyarto, Umberg

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: Senate Rule 28.8

SUBJECT: Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This resolution designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

Assigns the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) the responsibility of operating and maintaining state highways, including the installation and maintenance of highway signs.

This resolution:

1. Recounts the life and career of Master Sergeant Richard Pittman.
2. Designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway.
3. Requests Caltrans to determine the cost of appropriate signs consistent with the signing requirements for the state highway system showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover that cost, to erect those signs.
   

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No

SUPPORT: (Verified 4/22/24)

None received

OPPOSITION: (Verified 4/22/24)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 72-0, 2/26/24

AYES: Addis, Aguiar-Curry, Alanis, Alvarez, Arambula, Bains, Bauer-Kahan, Bennett, Boerner, Bonta, Bryan, Calderon, Wendy Carrillo, Connolly, Davies, Dixon, Essayli, Flora, Mike Fong, Vince Fong, Friedman, Gabriel, Gallagher, Garcia, Gipson, Grayson, Haney, Hart, Holden, Hoover, Irwin, Jackson, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Lackey, Lee, Low, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mathis, McKinnor, Muratsuchi, Stephanie Nguyen, Ortega, Pacheco, Papan, Jim Patterson, Joe Patterson, Pellerin, Petrie-Norris, Quirk-Silva, Ramos, Reyes, Luz Rivas, Rodriguez, Blanca Rubio, Sanchez, Santiago, Schiavo, Soria, Ta, Ting, Valencia, Villapudua, Waldron, Wallis, Weber, Wicks, Wilson, Wood, Zbur, Robert Rivas

NO VOTE RECORDED: Berman, Juan Carrillo, Cervantes, Chen, Megan Dahle, McCarty, Rendon, Ward

Prepared by: Benjamin O'Brien-Hokanson / TRANS. / (916) 651-4121

4/23/24 9:58:58

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Senator Dave Cortese, Chair

2023 - 2024 Regular

Bill No: Hearing Date: 4/9/2024

SUBJECT:

DIGEST: This resolution designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Assigns the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) the responsibility of operating and maintaining state highways, including the installation and maintenance of highway signs.

Committee Policy:

The committee has adopted a policy regarding the naming of state highways or structures. Under the policy, the committee will consider only those resolutions that meet all of the following criteria:

1. The person being honored must have provided extraordinary public service or some exemplary contribution to the public good and have a connection to the community where the highway or structure is located.
2. The person being honored must be deceased.
3. The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs for signs and plaques must be paid by local or private sources.
4. The author or co-author of the resolution must represent the district in which the facility is located, and the resolution must identify the specific highway segment or structure being named.
5. The segment of highway being named must not exceed five miles in length.
6. The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus and be without local opposition.
7. The proposed designation may not supersede an existing designation unless the sponsor can document that a good faith effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the prior designation.

This resolution:

1. Recounts the life and career of Master Sergeant Richard Pittman.
2. Designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway.
3. Requests Caltrans to determine the cost of appropriate signs consistent with the signing requirements for the state highway system showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources sufficient to cover that cost, to erect those signs.
   

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose of the resolution. According to the author, “Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin and graduated from Franklin High School in the City of Stockton in 1964. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968. After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton. Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton. In recognition of Richard Pittman's service to this country, it would be fitting to designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton in his honor.”
2. Background. Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin. Despite being legally blind in one eye and being declared medically unfit for combat, Richard enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1965 by bluffing on his vision test. He went on to enlist as an active duty member of the Marine Corps later that year. He served in the Vietnam War as a lance corporal in Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division.

On July 24, 1996, Richard’s unit was moving down a narrow jungle trail near the demilitarized zone when marines ahead of his position were attacked by a larger, concealed enemy force. Upon hearing the attack, Richard grabbed a machine gun and belts of extra ammunition and rushed ahead, firing into the enemy position, and destroying two enemy automatic weapons as he continued to advance into fire to reach wounded marines up the trail. There he established a position in the middle of the trail and used the machine gun to hold back a frontal attack by 30 to 40 soldiers. When his machine gun failed Richard switched to a submachine gun and a pistol, and when he ran out of ammunition threw a grenade at the retreating soldiers before returning to his platoon. For these brave actions President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968.

After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton. Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton. He is survived by his wife Patricia, four daughters, his nephew, and nine grandchildren.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No

POSITIONS: (Communicated to the committee before noon on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.)

SUPPORT:

None received

OPPOSITION:

None received

-- END --

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:ACR 85

Author:(Villapudua)

As Introduced Ver:May 24, 2023

Majority Vote

SUMMARY

Designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources to cover that cost, to erect those signs.

Major Provisions

COMMENTS

Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin and graduated from Franklin High School in the City of Stockton in 1964. Despite being legally blind in one eye, Richard was motivated to serve his country after hearing President John F. Kennedy say, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country," and was determined to enlist in the military. After being declared medically unfit for combat by the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, Richard enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1965 by bluffing on his eye test, enlisting in the Marine Corps later that year. After volunteering for a tour in Vietnam in 1966, Richard passed up an engineering position in order to be an infantryman.

On July 24, 1966, while Richard was serving as a lance corporal in Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, his unit was moving down a narrow jungle trail near the demilitarized zone when marines ahead of his position were attacked by a larger, concealed enemy force. Upon hearing the attack, Richard grabbed a machine gun and belts of extra ammunition and rushed ahead, firing into the enemy position, and destroying two enemy automatic weapons as he continued to advance into a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to reach wounded marines 50 yards up the trail until, as Richard reached the position where the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy soldiers. Totally disregarding his own safety, Richard calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy soldiers with devastating machine gun fire until his machine gun failed. Richard kept firing with a Vietnamese submachine gun and a pistol, when he ran out of ammunition, he threw a grenade, his last remaining weapon, at the retreating North Vietnamese soldiers, and then returned to his platoon. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968.

After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton. Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; four daughters: Gina Pittman, Tina Pittman-Carr, Julie Pittman, and Richelle Pittman-Kiyabu; his nephew, Brian Pittman, and nine grandchildren.

In recognition of Richard Pittman's service to this country, it would be fitting to designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton in his honor.

According to the Author

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 85 would designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway. Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin and graduated from Franklin High School in the City of Stockton in 1964. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968. After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton. Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton. In recognition of Richard Pittman's service to this country, it would be fitting to designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton in his honor.

Arguments in Support

None on file

Arguments in Opposition

None on file

FISCAL COMMENTS

Unknown, but the measure requests that Caltrans determine the cost of appropriate signage consistent with requirements for the state highway system, and only erect the appropriate signage upon receiving donations from non-state sources covering the cost.

VOTES

ASM TRANSPORTATION: 15-0-0

YES: Friedman, Vince Fong, Alvarez, Berman, Juan Carrillo, Davies, Gipson, Hart, Jackson, Kalra, Stephanie Nguyen, Sanchez, Wallis, Ward, Wicks

UPDATED

VERSION: May 24, 2023

CONSULTANT: Aimee Anspach / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093 FN: 0001206

Date of Hearing: July 3, 2023

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Laura Friedman, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:ACR 85 (

Author:Villapudua) – As Introduced Ver:May 24, 2023

SUBJECT: Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway

SUMMARY: Designates the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road, at postmile R19.584, and French Camp Road, at postmile R22.508, in the City of Stockton as the Master Sergeant Richard Pittman Memorial Highway. The measure would also request the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to determine the cost of appropriate signs showing this special designation and, upon receiving donations from nonstate sources to cover that cost, to erect those signs.

EXISTING LAW: Assigns Caltrans the responsibility of operating and maintaining state highways. This includes the installation and maintenance of highway signs.

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown, but the measure requests that Caltrans determine the cost of appropriate signage consistent with requirements for the state highway system, and only erect the appropriate signage upon receiving donations from non-state sources covering the cost.

COMMENTS: Richard Allan Pittman was born on May 26, 1945, in French Camp, in the County of San Joaquin and graduated from Franklin High School in the City of Stockton in 1964. Despite being legally blind in one eye, Richard was motivated to serve his country after hearing President John F. Kennedy say, “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” and was determined to enlist in the military. After being declared medically unfit for combat by the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, Richard enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1965 by bluffing on his eye test, enlisting in the Marine Corps later that year. After volunteering for a tour in Vietnam in 1966, Richard passed up an engineering position in order to be an infantryman.

On July 24, 1966, while Richard was serving as a lance corporal in Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, his unit was moving down a narrow jungle trail near the demilitarized zone when marines ahead of his position were attacked by a larger, concealed enemy force. Upon hearing the attack, Richard grabbed a machine gun and belts of extra ammunition and rushed ahead, firing into the enemy position, and destroying two enemy automatic weapons as he continued to advance into a withering hail of enemy mortar and small-arms fire to reach wounded marines 50 yards up the trail until, as Richard reached the position where the leading marines had fallen, he was suddenly confronted with a bold frontal attack by 30 to 40 enemy soldiers. Totally disregarding his own safety, Richard calmly established a position in the middle of the trail and raked the advancing enemy soldiers with devastating machine gun fire until his machine gun failed. Richard kept firing with a Vietnamese submachine gun and a pistol, when he ran out of ammunition, he threw a grenade, his last remaining weapon, at the retreating North Vietnamese soldiers, and then returned to his platoon. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the Medal of Honor to Richard at the White House on May 14, 1968.

After retirement as a master sergeant on October 27, 1988, Richard continued to serve his country in a contract position at Marine Memorial Golf Course at Camp Pendleton for several years until fully retiring in the City of Stockton. Richard passed away on October 13, 2016, in the City of Stockton. He is survived by his wife, Patricia; four daughters: Gina Pittman, Tina Pittman-Carr, Julie Pittman, and Richelle Pittman-Kiyabu; his nephew, Brian Pittman, and nine grandchildren.

In recognition of Richard Pittman’s service to this country, it would be fitting to designate the portion of Interstate 5 between Roth Road and French Camp Road in the City of Stockton in his honor.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

None on file

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Aimee Anspach / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093