WHEREAS, George Frederick Boyland, a proud veteran and a respected member of the Midlothian community, celebrates his 94th birthday in 2015; and

WHEREAS, born on February 22, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York, George Boyland was enrolled at the Wartburg Orphans' Farm School after his mother died when he was seven years old; and

WHEREAS, as a young man, George Boyland cultivated a lifelong love of baseball, traveling to Yankee Stadium to watch legends like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig play the game; and

WHEREAS, possessed of a desire to serve his country, George Boyland joined the United States Army National Guard in 1941; after the attack on Pearl Harbor, his unit was activated as the 165th Regiment of the 27th Infantry Division; and

WHEREAS, George Boyland attained the rank of staff sergeant and deployed to the Pacific theater of the war as a medic; he courageously rendered aid and comfort to his fellow soldiers, often while under fire, participating in the Battle of Saipan and the Battle of Okinawa; and

WHEREAS, after his honorable discharge, George Boyland returned to the United States and worked as a railroad car inspector for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for 30 years, playing an important role in the safety and security of the nation's rail infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, admired for his humility and positive outlook on life, George Boyland is the loving patriarch of a large family; he has six children, 19 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend George Frederick Boyland on the occasion of his 94th birthday; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to George Frederick Boyland as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for his contributions to the Commonwealth and the United States.