MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2006 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Michel, Gordon, Carmichael, King, Mettetal, Kirby, Davis, Butler, Walls, Browning, Hewes, Cuevas, Brown, Chaney, Hyde-Smith, Horhn, Jackson (15th), Clarke, Flowers, Harden, Ross, Nunnelee
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE DEDICATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI ARMED FORCES MUSEUM IN HONOR OF RETIRED LIEUTENANT GENERAL EMMETT H. "MICKEY" WALKER AND RECOGNIZING CAMP SHELBY'S PLACE IN AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY.
WHEREAS, the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum was dedicated on Saturday, January 28, 2006, in honor of retired Lieutenant General Emmett H. "Mickey" Walker, a decorated World War II veteran who was a driving force in establishing the facility at Camp Shelby; and
WHEREAS, General Walker fought with the Army's 95th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II and was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star; and
WHEREAS, he was part of the Far East Command liaison group in Japan during the Korean War and served as Chief of the National Guard Bureau under President Ronald Reagan from 1982-1986. After 42 years in the Army and Mississippi National Guard, Walker, an 81-year-old Starkville native who now lives in Jackson, Mississippi, retired from the military and focused his energy on preserving history at the "world class" museum; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature appropriated $2.5 Million in 1995 and $2 Million in 1999 to build the museum, which chronicles conflicts involving the United States from the War of 1812 to the Iraq war; and
WHEREAS, the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum opened four years ago, Walker's dedication will coincide with its fourth anniversary, and is home to thousands of displays, including an interactive World War I trench that recreates the sights, sounds and smells a soldier would have encountered during battle. The museum's approximate 17,000 artifacts include an exhibit that honors Mississippi's 26 Medal of Honor recipients and the 44 Medal of Honor recipients who served or trained at Camp Shelby, a 136,000-acre National Guard base in South Mississippi with a rich history itself; and
WHEREAS, Camp Shelby opened in 1917, and was named for Isaac Shelby, the first Governor of Kentucky, when thousands of soldiers from Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia trained there with the 38th Division; and
WHEREAS, more than 100,000 soldiers trained at the base during World War II, including the Japanese-American 442nd Regiment, which became one of the most decorated units in the war. Today, the camp is training soldiers for duty in Iraq and other crisis areas. Nearly 20,000 soldiers have trained there since the attacks of September 11, 2001; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we note the dedication of this world class museum in honor of a great American which also recognizes Mississippi's place in military history:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the dedication of the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum in honor of retired Lieutenant General Emmett H. "Mickey" Walker and acknowledge Camp Shelby's place in American military history.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to General Walker and to Museum Director Chad Daniels and be made available to the Capitol press Corps.