Pennsylvania Act 2018-4 — MULTIPLE DESIGNATIONS IN MULTIPLE COUNTIES - DESIGNATION

Act text

An Act

Designating a bridge on that portion of State Route 1008 over the Codorus Creek in East Manchester Township and Hellam Township, York County, as the SPC Martin Wilson Kondor Memorial Bridge; designating a bridge to be constructed on that portion of State Route 119 over the Pine Run Creek, Rayne Township, Indiana County, as the PFC Frank Enzer Weiss United States Marine Corps Bridge; designating the bridge on State Route 125 before Ridge Road in Pitman, Schuylkill County, as the Abner Yoder Memorial Bridge; designating a portion of State Route 562 in Berks County as the General Carl A. Spaatz Memorial Highway; designating portions of Interstate Route 176 in New Morgan Borough, Caernarvon Township, Robeson Township and Cumru Township, Berks County, as the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Highway, the Persian Gulf War Veterans Memorial Highway and the Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans Memorial Highway; and designating a portion of Pennsylvania Route 611 beginning at mile marker 391 and ending at the Pennsylvania Route 940 intersection, Monroe County, as the Roy J. Gross, Sr., Memorial Highway.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. SPC Martin Wilson Kondor Memorial Bridge.

(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) SPC Martin Wilson Kondor, a United States Army Specialist, was killed in action at age 20 while serving in Baqubah, Iraq, on April 29, 2004.

(2) The personal security detail on which SPC Kondor served was surrounded in a crossfire attack while he was an M240 gunner assigned to Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

(3) SPC Kondor demonstrated personal courage and technical expertise in the face of a determined enemy during a devastating ambush. His bravery and valor under fire saved the lives of his fellow soldiers.

(4) In recognition of his service, SPC Kondor was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with the "V" device and the Purple Heart.

(b) Designation.--The bridge located on State Route 1008 over the Codorus Creek in East Manchester Township and Hellam Township, York County, is designated as the SPC Martin Wilson Kondor Memorial Bridge.

(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to traffic in both directions on the bridge.

Section 2. PFC Frank Enzer Weiss United States Marine Corps Bridge.

(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) PFC Frank Enzer Weiss, a native of Tanoma, served in the United States Marine Corps G Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Amphibious Force.

(2) On March 18, 1968, PFC Weiss, 19 years of age, was killed in action by hostile fire in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam.

(3) PFC Weiss was awarded the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal and Vietnam Service Medal.

(b) Designation.--The bridge to be constructed on State Route 119 over the Pine Run Creek in Rayne Township, Indiana County, is designated as the PFC Frank Enzer Weiss United States Marine Corps Bridge.

(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to traffic in both directions on the bridge.

Section 3. Abner Yoder Memorial Bridge.

(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) Abner Yoder graduated from Hegins High School in 1936, was active in his local church and played on the Pitman's Farmers baseball team.

(2) On July 18, 1941, he joined the United States Army Air Corps and rose to the level of Technical Sergeant by August 1943.

(3) During his time in the Air Corps, he traveled to Australia, where he met his fiancée and joined a combat crew which flew missions on a B-52.

(4) On February 17, 1944, the plane he was on with his crew had engine troubles and attempted to return to the base but stalled and crashed. The entire crew, including Abner Yoder, was killed in the plane crash.

(5) Abner Yoder was 26 at the time of his death, and he was buried at the Manila American Cemetery in Manila, Philippines, near other fallen members of the Armed Forces.

(b) Designation.--The bridge on State Route 125 before Ridge Road in Pitman, Schuylkill County, is designated as the Abner Yoder Memorial Bridge.

(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to traffic in both directions on the bridge.

Section 4. General Carl A. Spaatz Memorial Highway.

(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) Carl Andrew "Tooey" Spaatz was born in Boyertown, Berks County, on June 28, 1891.

(2) Drawn to aviation, after graduating from West Point in 1914 and being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the infantry, Mr. Spaatz studied at the Aviation School at San Diego, California.

(3) Mr. Spaatz served with the 1st Aero Squadron as a first lieutenant under General John "Black Jack" Pershing during the Punitive Expedition into Mexico.

(4) After being promoted to captain in May 1917, Mr. Spaatz served in France with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I and, as a fighter pilot, shot down three German Fokker planes behind enemy lines, which earned him the Distinguished Service Cross.

(5) Mr. Spaatz was promoted to major on July 1, 1920, and during the interwar years he proceeded up the ranks of a peacetime Air Corps.

(6) Mr. Spaatz was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for commanding the refueling endurance flight of the Question Mark plane from January 1 through 7, 1929, during which the plane broke a record for sustained flight.

(7) After the United States entered into World War II, in 1942, Mr. Spaatz was named chief of the Air Force Combat Command and was sent to England to initiate the planning stages for the United States Army Air Forces in Europe.

(8) Later in 1942, Mr. Spaatz was named commander of the United States Army Air Forces in Europe.

(9) In 1943, Mr. Spaatz commanded the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa where his forces played a pivotal role in reducing Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps.

(10) In 1944, Mr. Spaatz returned to England and was named the commanding general of the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe.

(11) In this role, Mr. Spaatz played a key role in Operation Overlord, more commonly known as D-Day, by directing the Allied aerial attacks covering the landings on the beaches of Normandy.

(12) Mr. Spaatz also commanded the strategic bombing of Germany.

(13) On March 11, 1945, Mr. Spaatz received a temporary promotion to general and later was named commander of the United States Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific where he supervised the final strategic bombings of Japan, including two atomic bomb missions.

(14) Mr. Spaatz was the only man of general rank or equivalent to attend all three surrender ceremonies that ended World War II.

(15) In 1946, Mr. Spaatz was named commander-in-chief of the Army Air Forces, and in 1947 he was named the first chief of staff of the newly independent United States Air Force.

(16) Mr. Spaatz retired from military service in 1948 and passed away on July 14, 1974.

(b) Designation.--The portion of State Route 562 in Berks County from the intersection with State Route 73 in the Borough of Boyertown to the intersection with State Route 662 at the township line between Amity Township and Oley Township is designated as the General Carl A. Spaatz Memorial Highway.

(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the highway to traffic in both directions on the highway.

Section 5. Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Highway.

(a) Designation.--The section of Interstate Route 176 in New Morgan Borough, Caernarvon Township, Berks County, from the Morgantown Interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at mile marker 0.4 to mile marker 3.7 is designated as the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Highway.

(b) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the highway to traffic in both directions on the highway.

Section 6. Persian Gulf War Veterans Memorial Highway.

(a) Designation.--The section of Interstate Route 176 in Robeson Township, Berks County, from mile marker 3.7 to mile marker 7.0 is designated as the Persian Gulf War Veterans Memorial Highway.

(b) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the highway to traffic in both directions on the highway.

Section 7. Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans Memorial Highway.

(a) Designation.--The section of Interstate Route 176 in Robeson Township and Cumru Township, Berks County, from mile marker 7.0 in Robeson Township to mile marker 10.3 at or near the intersection of U.S. Route 422 in Cumru Township is designated as the Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans Memorial Highway.

(b) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the highway to traffic in both directions on the highway.

Section 8. Roy J. Gross, Sr., Memorial Highway.

(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) Roy J. Gross, Sr., dedicated his life to serving his community with distinction and honor.

(2) Mr. Gross dedicated more than 50 years of service to Mount Pocono Borough, including 34 years on the council, as chairman of the Mount Pocono Municipal Authority and serving on the Police Commission for 23 years.

(3) Mr. Gross was a life member of the Pocono Mountain Volunteer Fire Company where he was a past assistant chief and served on the carnival committee.

(4) Mr. Gross was also past President of the Parents Athletic Association of the Pocono Mountain School and was constable and a part-time police officer in the Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department.

(5) Mr. Gross received numerous awards for his community service throughout his life, including the 2002 Citizen of the Year award for Mount Pocono Borough.

(6) In addition to his dedication to community, Mr. Gross was a talented builder and craftsman and worked for the family business, Ervin W. Gross and Sons, for more than 50 years. After the business closed, he worked for his brother, Allen Gross, for 10 years until he retired in 2013. Roy was a lifelong resident of Monroe County and loving husband to his wife, Ruth, with whom he shared 62 years of marriage.

(b) Designation.--The portion of Pennsylvania Route 611 beginning at mile marker 391 and ending at the Pennsylvania Route 940 intersection is designated as the Roy J. Gross, Sr., Memorial Highway.

(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the highway to traffic in both directions on the highway.

Section 9. Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.