WHEREAS, At age 17, Douglas C. Elms enlisted in the United States Army on August 23, 1938, in Tacoma, Washington, to assist in the fight against Nazi aggression during World War II; and
     WHEREAS, Douglas C. Elms, Private First Class in the anti-tank company of the 424th Regiment of the 106th Infantry Division, set out to defend the French against the Nazis on September 16, 1940, epitomizing what would later be recorded as one of the greatest strategic Allied successes of the war in Europe; and
     WHEREAS, Douglas C. Elms battled relentlessly to save the lives of 25 men of the 112th Regiment during the Battle of the Bulge; and
     WHEREAS, Douglas C. Elms fought valiantly day and night alongside his company for almost forty consecutive days without sufficient food, shelter, or manpower, to defend against the Nazi onslaught; and
     WHEREAS, Douglas C. Elms and his company triumphed over the Nazis at the Battle of the Bulge on January 25, 1945, in a conquest that will forever be etched in world history; and
     WHEREAS, Douglas C. Elms was honorably discharged as a Corporal on October 15, 1945, receiving - among other awards - the Belgian Fourragere and the Bronze Star for his meritorious achievement and gallant heroism during active ground combat at the Battle of the Bulge; and
     WHEREAS, Douglas C. Elms eventually settled back in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington, after serving in the European, African, and Middle Eastern Theaters; and
     WHEREAS, Douglas C. Elms was appointed Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (created by Napoleon in 1802) by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on December 7, 2011, out of gratitude for his selfless service in securing France's independence from Nazi Germany;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That U.S. Army Veteran Douglas C. Elms, World War II hero and honored citizen of the State of Washington, be recognized by the Washington State Senate for his courage, heroism, and sacrifice, as well as his unending devotion and loyalty to the United States of America.