WHEREAS, First Sergeant Christopher Navarre took a voluntary reduction in rank to Private in order to serve with the 761st Black Panther Tank Battalion during World War II; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre fought valiantly as a tank gunner with the 761st, who lived up to their motto, "Come Out Fighting"; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre and the other African-American men of the 761st spearheaded several attacks allowing General Patton's 4th Armored Division to drive forward into Germany; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre was wounded in the hand and leg while the 761st fought elements from 14 different German divisions to allow the 4th Armored Division to move through the Rhine River; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre assisted in destroying 23 fortified German pillboxes, and he was directly responsible for destroying seven; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre and the 761st helped to liberate Holocaust victims held in concentration camps at Dachau and Buchenwald; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre was appointed as a warrant officer in 1949 and served in the Korean War; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre retired from active duty in 1963, taking a position in the Logistics Center at Ft. Lewis, Washington, until retiring in 1982; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre and his wife, Bernice, make their home at Patriot's Landing in DuPont, where they are active in the community and the church; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre volunteers much of his time speaking with and counseling soldiers returning from deployment, many of whom suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder; and
     WHEREAS, President Jimmy Carter awarded the 761st the Presidential Unit Citation in 1978; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star in 1997 after a 52-year delay due to the segregation policy of the military at the time; and
     WHEREAS, Christopher Navarre was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the President of France in 2006 for his efforts during World War II;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honor Christopher Navarre, World War II United States Army hero, member of the greatest generation, and honored citizen of the state of Washington, for his leadership, courage, valor, and selfless service.