HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution - 3216 STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) RESOLUTION NO. 3216
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE)ss
CITY OF SAN JACINTO )
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN
JACINTO NAMING COL. LEWIS L. MILLETT PARK
WHEREAS, the City of San Jacinto ("City") City Council adopted Resolution
3113 on October 4, 2007, establishing policies and procedures for the naming of City
buildings, parks, and other facilities; and
WHEREAS, the City's naming policy allows for City facilities such as parks to be
named after an individual to commemorate people whose contributions are of significant
importance to the city, region, state and/or nation; and
WHEREAS, the Historical Preservation Sub-Committee recommends that the
existing park located within the Shea residential development and further identified on
Exhibit 'A" attached hereto be named for COL. Lewis L. Millett, a Congressional Medal
of Honor recipient; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED determined and ordered by the City
Council of the City of San Jacinto:
SECTION 1. The City Council finds and declares as follows:
A. Naming of COL. Lewis L. Millett Park is consistent with City Council
adopted policies that allow for public facilities to be named after an
individual to commemorate people whose contributions are of significant
importance to the city, region, state and/or nation; and
B. Naming of COL. Lewis L. Millett Park serves a public interest by
identifying and recognizing his contributions of valor to the nation. COL.
Lewis Millett served his nation in three wars, World War II, the Korean
War, and the Vietnam War. He left high school after his junior year to
enlist in the Army and was assigned to an Air Corps gunnery school. He
became upset with Europe's weak resistance against German aggression,
with the Nazis' treatment of the Jews, and especially with the way the
United States was paralyzed by isolationism. To get into combat, he
deserted, and enlisted in the Canadian Army. He was sent to London
shortly afterward and manned an antiaircraft gun during the Blitz.
C. In 1942, upon the arrival of American troops in England, Millett took
advantage of a provision that allowed American citizens serving with an
allied country to transfer into the U.S. military. He served with the
American Army in North Africa, where he was awarded the Silver Star and
promoted from private to sergeant, then fought at Salerno and Anzio. At
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Anzio, he was told he had been court-martialed and found guilty of
desertion. His sentence was a fifty-two-dollar fine. The same day, he
received a battlefield promotion to lieutenant for his fearlessness in
combat.
D. Soon after the outbreak of the Korean War, he joined the 8th Field Artillery
of the 25th Division and was sent to Korea. Not long after his arrival, the
commanding officer of an infantry company in the 27th Infantry (the
"Wolfhounds") was killed, and Millett took over. On February 7, 1951, he
was in command of an under-strength company of about one hundred
soldiers near the Korean village of Soam-ni. The company were
proceeding up a road in subzero temperatures when they ran into a
superior force of Chinese Communist soldiers dug into the hills above.
One of Millett's platoons was pinned down by automatic weapons fire; he
brought up another platoon for support. A few weeks earlier, he had heard
that the Chinese Army was circulating handbills among their troops
accusing the Americans of being "afraid of cold steel"—the bayonet—so
he had trained his men hard in the use of that weapon. Now, with the
Communists raking his position with small arms fire and his men running
low on ammunition, he ordered them to fix bayonets and led a charge up
the hill. Millett reached the enemy trench line and bayoneted two enemy
soldiers. Then, using his rifle as a club against the others, he forced the
Chinese to break and run. He was wounded by grenade fragments but
refused evacuation until the position was secured. Later, he explained that
he engaged in this action as homage to his grandfathers, both of whom
had fought in the Civil War and had participated in bayonet charges.
E. When Millett was pulled off the line a few weeks later, he was told that he
had been recommended for the Medal of Honor and his commanders
didn't want him to get killed before the ceremony. President Harry
Truman presented the medal to him on July 5, 1951. COL. Lewis L.
Millett also served during the Vietnam War and retired from military
service in 1973.
SECTION 2: The City Clerk is directed to certify the passage and adoption of
this Resolution; enter same in the book of original Resolutions; and make a
Minute of its adoption in the City's records and in the Minutes of the meeting
when it was adopted.
SECTION 3: The City Clerk is further directed to forward a certified copy of this
Resolution to the clerk of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and to the
Riverside County Surveyor.
SECTION 4: This Resolution will become effective immediately upon adoption
and will remain effective unless repealed or superseded.
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PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED, this 215t day of November, 2008, by the
following vote
Ayes: Jim Ayres, John Mansperger, Jim Potts
Nays: None
Absent: Chris Carlson, Dale Stubblefield
Abstain: None
3 , , City of San Jacinto
v i y y b im Air , Mayor
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ATTEST:
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rothy L. ouinard, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
BEST, BEST & KRIEGER LLP
Jeffrey S. Ballinger, City Attorney
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