2026 SPECIAL SESSION I

INTRODUCED

26200054D

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 2094

Offered October 19, 2026

Commemorating the life and legacy of Captain Donald A. Sharer.

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Patron—Craig

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WHEREAS, Captain Donald A. Sharer was a beloved member of the Chesapeake community who became a national hero after bravely enduring more than 14 months of captivity during the Iranian hostage crisis between 1979 and 1981; and

WHEREAS, born in Norfolk County and raised in Indiana, Donald “Don” Sharer earned a bachelor's degree from Indiana University, where he was a member of the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps; and

WHEREAS, Don Sharer entered the United States Navy at the rank of lieutenant junior grade and went on to fly 238 missions during the Vietnam War on Phantom F-4 fighter planes as a radar intercept officer; and

WHEREAS, Don Sharer was a resident of Chesapeake in March 1979 when he was deployed to Tehran to train members of the Iran revolutionary government on how to operate F-14 fighter planes that had been purchased from the United States; and

WHEREAS, on November 4, 1979, Iranian revolutionaries seized the United States Embassy in Tehran and took 66 Americans, including Don Sharer, as hostages; and

WHEREAS, for 444 days, Don Sharer withstood unimaginable ordeals while standing strong in the face of his captors and remaining steadfast in his faith in his country; and

WHEREAS, Don Sharer returned safely to Chesapeake on January 22, 1981; he was reunited with his wife, Fran, and children, Jeff and Jennifer, and was warmly received by local leaders, who organized a rally at Indian River High School that was attended by thousands and bedecked the city with yellow ribbons to honor his heroism and sacrifice; and

WHEREAS, after his return, Don Sharer resumed his career with the United States Navy, achieved the rank of captain, and led a destroyer group as its chief of staff during Operation Desert Storm before retiring with full honors in 1993; and

WHEREAS, the Chesapeake Historic Preservation Commission has recently created a local historic marker honoring Don Sharer's life and service, ensuring that his strength, courage, and commitment to country will continue to inspire others for generations to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of Virginia hereby commemorate the life and legacy of Captain Donald A. Sharer, a cherished member of the Chesapeake community whose heroism during the Iran hostage crisis will be forever remembered; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Captain Donald A. Sharer as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's respect for his memory.