--- title: HR 480. World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell Memorial Drive; Banks County; dedicate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr480 cite_as: HR 480, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr480 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr480.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr480/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71129 date: 2025-03-10 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr479.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr481.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr480.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 480 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-04 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Chris Erwin text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR480/2025 upstream_id: 1991461 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - road dedication - veterans - Banks County - Georgia Department of Transportation --- # HR 480. World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell Memorial Drive; Banks County; dedicate ## Text House Resolution 480 By: Representative Erwin of the 32nd A RESOLUTION Honoring the life of World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell and dedicating a road in his memory; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Mr. Bobby Blackwell was born in Homer, Georgia, on April 9, 1924, the beloved son of Lon B. and Alice Hill Blackwell; and WHEREAS, our nation's security continues to rely on patriotic men and women who put their personal lives on hold in order to place themselves in harm's way to protect the freedoms that all United States citizens cherish; and WHEREAS, Mr. Blackwell demonstrated a deep personal commitment to protecting democracy and a willingness to sacrifice his own personal safety and comfort to ensure the well-being of his fellow man; and WHEREAS, Mr. Blackwell served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty with the United States Army Air Force during World War II; and WHEREAS, as a sergeant during the war, Mr. Blackwell was assigned to the 314th Depot Supply Squadron at the Bengal Air Base in Calcutta, India; and WHEREAS, upon his return home, Mr. Blackwell continued to serve his country as a rural mail carrier with the United States Postal Service in Lula, Georgia, for 34 years and as an assistant magistrate judge in Banks County for more than 30 years; and WHEREAS, Mr. Blackwell was an active member of Homer Baptist Church, where he was on the Sunday School Celebration Committee, and the American Legion Post #215, Phi Delta Masonic Lodge #148, Banks County Chamber of Commerce, and Banks County Soil Conservation; and WHEREAS, Mr. Blackwell demonstrated selfless service to this nation and his unyielding commitment to protecting the people and ideals of the United States should be recognized appropriately by dedicating a road in his memory. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the portion of State Route 51 from Hill Street to State Route 164 in Banks County is dedicated as the World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell Memorial Drive. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is authorized and directed to erect and maintain appropriate signs dedicating the World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell Memorial Drive. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Mr. Bobby Blackwell and to the Department of Transportation. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution would name a stretch of State Route 51 in Banks County the World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell Memorial Drive, honoring a local veteran and longtime public servant. ### Plain-language summary This resolution honors Bobby Blackwell, a Banks County native who served as a sergeant in the United States Army Air Force during World War II and later worked for 34 years as a rural mail carrier and more than 30 years as an assistant magistrate judge in Banks County. The resolution dedicates the portion of State Route 51 between Hill Street and State Route 164 in Banks County as the World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell Memorial Drive. It directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to put up and maintain signs marking the dedication, and it directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to Blackwell's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### What it does - Dedicates the stretch of State Route 51 from Hill Street to State Route 164 in Banks County as the World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell Memorial Drive. - Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the memorial road designation. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to Blackwell's family and the Department of Transportation. ### Who it affects The resolution most directly affects Banks County residents and travelers on the designated stretch of State Route 51, the Blackwell family, and the Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain the memorial signage. ### Why it matters If adopted, drivers on that stretch of State Route 51 in Banks County will see new signage honoring a local World War II veteran and public servant, giving his family and community a lasting, publicly recognized memorial along a state road. ### Key provisions - Recites Bobby Blackwell's biography, including his World War II service in the 314th Depot Supply Squadron and decades of civic service in Banks County. - Resolves that the segment of State Route 51 between Hill Street and State Route 164 in Banks County is dedicated as the World War II Veteran Bobby Blackwell Memorial Drive. - Authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain appropriate signs for the dedication. - Directs the Clerk of the House to provide copies of the resolution to Blackwell's family and the Department of Transportation. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2025-03-04) - Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-10) - Sponsors: Chris Erwin - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71129 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr480.md?full=1