RESOLUTION No. ________--_, Series 2018
title
A RESOLUTION HONORING FRANK W. WEAVER BY DEDICATING THE CORNER OF SAINT FRANCIS LANE AND BROADMOOR BOULEVARD TO BE NAMED “FRANK WEAVER WAY” IN HIS HONOR.
BODY
SPONSORED BY: COUNCIL MEMBER BARBARA SHANKLIN
WHEREAS, Frank W. Weaver was born on December 28, 1926 in Louisville, Kentucky, and died on August 18, 2018 at the age of 91;
WHEREAS, at 18 years old, Mr. Weaver was drafted into the United States Armed Forces, and after basic training was assigned to the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama;
WHEREAS, during World War I, African American men in the U.S. had tried to become “aerial observers,” but they were continuously rejected;
WHEREAS, on April 3, 1939, an appropriations law was passed to fund the training of African American pilots, and in 1941, during World War II, the first African American U.S. military pilots were trained at the Tuskegee Army Air field and Tuskegee University and became some of the best pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces due to a combination of pre-war experience and the personal drive of those accepted for training;
WHEREAS, all pilots, mechanics, instructors, crew chiefs, cooks, service personnel, etc. that were a part of this new program at the Tuskegee Army Air Field are famously known as the Tuskegee Airmen and are credited with numerous accomplishments and received many distinguished unit citations, awards, and medals;
WHEREAS, Mr. Weaver was as one of the famed Tuskegee Airman and served our nation during World War II as Hanger Chief and a B-25 engine mechanic;
WHEREAS, after the war, Mr. Weaver, like the other African American war-time heroes, continued to experience racism upon his return to Louisville and had difficulty finding employment using the exceptional skills he learned in the military;
WHEREAS, Mr. Weaver worked for the Jeffersonville Quartermaster Depot, and later worked for General Electric where he retired after 32 years;
WHEREAS, Mr. Weaver also owned a neighborhood gas station where he put his mechanical skills to work repairing automobile engines;
WHEREAS, Mr. Weaver was a deacon at First Baptist Church of Jeffersontown, a volunteer in the political arena, and a member of the Brigadier General Noel F. Parrish Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. in Kentucky.;
WHEREAS, Mr. Weaver was married to the late Jewel D. Titus for 58 years and they have two children (Gary L. Weaver, Sr. and Andre’ M. Weaver), six grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren;
WHEREAS, the Metro Council wishes to celebrate the life of Mr. Weaver and we are grateful for his service to our nation as a Tuskegee Airman.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY METRO GOVERNMENT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I: Frank Weaver’s service to our nation as a Tuskegee Airman is hereby recognized with the placement of an honorary street sign on the northwest corner of St. Francis Lane and Broadmoor Boulevard in Louisville, Kentucky and so designated as “Frank Weaver Way.”
SECTION II: The Department of Public Works is hereby directed to move forward with the fabrication of two honorary signs upon the passage of this Resolution and the receipt of funds to cover the expense. One honorary sign is to be installed on the northwest corner of St. Francis Street and Broadmoor Boulevard, and the second honorary sign will be presented to the family.
SECTION III: This Resolution shall take effect upon its passage and approval.
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_______________________________ H. Stephen Ott Metro Council Clerk |
_____________________________ David James President of the Council |
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_______________________________ Greg Fischer Mayor |
_____________________________ Approval Date |
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
Michael J. O’Connell
Jefferson County Attorney
BY: ____________________________
R-174-18 Frank Weaver Honorary Sign (8-31-18).docx