HJ412: Celebrating the life of Lt. Colonel Herman M. Craig, Sr., USA Ret.

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WHEREAS, Lt. Colonel Herman Marshall Craig, Sr., USA Retired, a respected community leader and decorated officer, died on February 20, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig was born December 6, 1921, to the late Benjamin Giles Craig and Lucy Wingfield Craig in the 225-year-old ancestral home in the Snow Creek community of Franklin County where he lived for the last 44 years of his life; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig graduated with honors from Martinsville High School in 1939, received a bachelor?s degree from Hartwick College, and pursued graduate studies at Columbia University, Northwestern University, and Duke Divinity School; he was also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig served during World War II in the 179th Infantry Regiment with the 45th Division in Africa, Italy, Germany, and France; he was also company commander of Army Reserve units in Norfolk, Virginia; Hagerstown, Maryland; Belvidere, Illinois; and Greensboro, North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, during Lt. Colonel Craig?s exemplary 28-year military career, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Medal, Campaign Medal with six Stars, WWII Victory Medal with Arrowhead, National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and six Battle Stars; and

WHEREAS, after his retirement from the military, Herman Craig pursued a successful business career that included work for IBM Corp. and Standard Register Co., service as regional manager for Baltimore Business Forms and branch manager for American Bank & Trust Company, and worked in sales at Metropolitan Insurance Company, from which he retired after receiving numerous awards for outstanding sales; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig generously gave of his time and talents in the community as past president and member of the Figsboro Ruritan Club, three-term member of the Franklin County School Board, five-year member of the Roanoke Valley Regional School Board, member of the Virginia School Board Association, past member of the Toastmasters Club and the Martinsville/Henry County Homebuilders Association, and member of the United Methodist Church; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig will be fondly remembered for his kind and generous nature and will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 49 years, Nanci Lee Craig; children Kathryn Craig Macco, Karyn Craig Meeks, and Herman Marshall Craig, Jr.; grandsons, Christopher Wayne Meeks and Bradley Craig Meeks; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly note with great sadness the loss of a dedicated soldier and community leader, Lt. Colonel Herman M. Craig, Sr., USA Ret.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Lt. Colonel Herman M. Craig, Sr., USA Ret., as an expression of the General Assembly?s respect for his memory.

WHEREAS, Lt. Colonel Herman Marshall Craig, Sr., USA Retired, a respected community leader and decorated officer, died on February 20, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig was born December 6, 1921, to the late Benjamin Giles Craig and Lucy Wingfield Craig in the 225-year-old ancestral home where he lived for the last 44 years of his life in the Snow Creek community of Franklin County; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig graduated with honors from Martinsville High School in 1939, received a bachelor?s degree from Hartwick College, and pursued graduate studies at Columbia University, Northwestern University, and Duke Divinity School; he was also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig served during World War II in the 179th Infantry Regiment with the 45th Division in Africa, Italy, Germany, and France; he was also company commander of Army Reserve units in Norfolk, Virginia; Hagerstown, Maryland; Belvidere, Illinois; and Greensboro, North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, during Lt. Colonel Craig?s exemplary 28-year military career, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Medal, Campaign Medal with six Stars, WWII Victory Medal with Arrowhead, National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII, Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar, Armed Forces Reserve Medal, and six Battle Stars; and

WHEREAS, after his retirement from the military, Herman Craig pursued a successful business career that included work for IBM Corp. and Standard Register Co., service as regional manager for Baltimore Business Forms and branch manager for American Bank & Trust Company, and work in sales at Metropolitan Insurance Company, from which he retired after receiving numerous awards for outstanding sales; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig generously gave of his time and talents in the community as past president and member of the Figsboro Ruritan Club, three-term member of the Franklin County School Board, five-year member of the Roanoke Valley Regional School Board, member of the Virginia School Board Association, past member of the Toastmasters Club and the Martinsville/Henry County Homebuilders Association, and member of the United Methodist Church; and

WHEREAS, Herman Craig will be fondly remembered for his kind and generous nature and greatly missed by his loving wife of 49 years, Nanci Lee Craig; children Kathryn Craig Macco, Karyn Craig Meeks, and Herman Marshall Craig, Jr.; grandsons, Christopher Wayne Meeks and Bradley Craig Meeks; and his numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly note with sadness the loss of a dedicated soldier and community leader, Lt. Colonel Herman M. Craig, Sr., USA Ret.; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Lt. Colonel Herman M. Craig, Sr., USA Ret., as an expression of the General Assembly?s respect for his memory.