Pennsylvania Act 2014-124 — PRIVATE EDWIN TUBBS MEMORIAL BRIDGE, SPECIALIST DONALD STILES MEMORIAL BRIDGE, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ROGER P. DOWNEY MEMORIAL BRIDGE, PFC. JAMES E. LUDWIG MEMORIAL BRIDGE, OFFICER BRADLEY M. FOX MEMORIAL BRIDGE, VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY AND SGT. ANDREW J. "AJ" BADDICK MEMORIAL BRIDGE

Act text

An Act

Renaming the West Chestnut Street Bridge in Coudersport Borough, Potter County, as the Private Edwin Tubbs Memorial Bridge; renaming the State Route 872 Bridge near Coudersport Borough/Eulalia Township Border, Potter County, as the Specialist Donald Stiles Memorial Bridge; designating a bridge on that portion of S.R. 49 over the Cowanesque River between Dennis Hill Road and Church Street in Harrison Township, Potter County, as the Private First Class Roger P. Downey Memorial Bridge; designating a bridge on that portion of State Route 56, partially in Seward Borough, Westmoreland County, and partially in East Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, over the Conemaugh River as the Pfc. James E. Ludwig Memorial Bridge; designating a portion of Pennsylvania Route 263 in Bucks County as the Officer Bradley M. Fox Memorial Highway; designating a portion of Bushkill Center Road in Northampton County as the Veterans Memorial Highway; and designating a bridge to be constructed on that portion of State Route 903 over the Lehigh River, Jim Thorpe Borough, Carbon County, as the Sgt. Andrew J. "AJ" Baddick Memorial Bridge.

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

Section 1. Private Edwin Tubbs Memorial Bridge.

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

(1) Private Edwin Franklin Tubbs left Coudersport High School in August 1967 and entered into the United States Army.

(2) Private Tubbs deployed to Vietnam with D Company, Sixth Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, Ninth Infantry Division on December 4, 1968, and was stationed at Dinh Tuong, South Vietnam.

(3) On January 12, 1969, Private Tubbs was fatally wounded as he set down his rifle to assist a fellow soldier who was injured on the battlefield.

(4) During his service in the United States Army, Private Tubbs received the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart.

(b) Change of name.--The bridge in Coudersport Borough, Potter County, known as the West Chestnut Street Bridge, is hereby renamed the Private Edwin Tubbs Memorial Bridge.

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

Section 2. Specialist Donald Stiles Memorial Bridge.

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

(1) Specialist Donald Stiles enlisted in the United States Army at 17 years of age.

(2) Specialist Stiles was deployed to Vietnam as an atomic demolition munitions specialist with A Battery, First Battalion, Seventh Artillery, First Infantry Division.

(3) On April 2, 1968, Specialist Stiles was killed in action in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam, after taking a fellow soldier's place on a mission and being hit by bomb fragments from a land mine.

(b) Change of name.--The State Route 872 Bridge near Coudersport Borough/Eulalia Township Border, Potter County, is hereby renamed the Specialist Donald Stiles Memorial Bridge.

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

Section 3. Private First Class Roger P. Downey Memorial Bridge.

(a) Findings.--

(1) Private First Class (PFC) Roger P. Downey was born on January 20, 1926, and grew up on a small farm in Ulysses, Pennsylvania.

(2) While a teenager, PFC Downey would use the bridge on that portion of S.R. 49 over the Cowanesque River to attend Harrison Valley High School in Mills, Pennsylvania.

(3) While this nation was in the midst of World War II, PFC Downey left school to join the United States Army on April 19, 1944.

(4) After infantry training in Virginia and other parts of the nation, PFC Downey traveled to Massachusetts for staging before being transported on the SS Marine Raven to England in November 1944.

(5) In January 1945, PFC Downey and his unit were sent to reinforce and relieve units engaged in the famous Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

(6) PFC Downey was killed in action in Germany on March 9, 1945, while assigned to Company B, 417 Infantry Regiment, 76 Infantry Division, XII Corp, Third Army, Twelfth Army Group, European Theater of Operations headquartered in the town of Speicher in the Rhineland region of Germany.

(b) Designation.--The bridge located on S.R. 49 over the Cowanesque River between Dennis Hill Road and Church Street in Harrison Township, Potter County, is hereby designated the Private First Class Roger P. Downey 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. Pfc. James E. Ludwig Memorial Bridge.

(a) Designation.--The bridge located on State Route 56, partially in Seward Borough, Westmoreland County, and partially in East Wheatfield Township, Indiana County, over the Conemaugh River, is hereby designated the Pfc. James E. Ludwig Memorial Bridge.

(b) 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 5. Officer Bradley M. Fox Memorial Highway.

(a) Findings.--

(1) Police Officer Bradley M. Fox, a native of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, was born on September 14, 1977.

(2) Officer Fox graduated from William Tennent High School in Warminster, Pennsylvania, where he was a talented hockey player.

(3) Officer Fox had a distinguished ten-year career in the United States Marine Corps, where he completed two tours of duty in Iraq (2003) and Afghanistan (2005-2006) and earned the rank of Staff Sergeant.

(4) Officer Fox's military citations include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, Selected Marine Corps Reserve (X3) Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

(5) Officer Fox was a seven-year veteran of the Plymouth Township Police Department and a graduate of the Philadelphia Police Canine Academy.

(6) Officer Fox was killed in the line of duty on September 13, 2012, when he and his K-9 partner, Jake, were ambushed by a suspect they had been pursuing on foot.

(b) Designation.--The section of Pennsylvania Route 263 in Bucks County from West Street Road (Route 132) to West Bristol Road is hereby designated the Officer Bradley M. Fox 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 6. Veterans Memorial Highway.

(a) Findings.--

(1) Residents of Bushkill Township in Northampton County have fought in every military conflict, including World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield and the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

(2) Hundreds of veterans and their families have made unimaginable and innumerable sacrifices in defense of the United States.

(b) Designation.--The section of Bushkill Center Road in Northampton County from State Route 512 to Jacobsburg Road is hereby designated the Veterans 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 7. Sgt. Andrew J. "AJ" Baddick Memorial Bridge.

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

(1) Sgt. Andrew J. "AJ" Baddick was a native of Jim Thorpe, Carbon County, and a 1997 graduate of Jim Thorpe Area Senior High School.

(2) Sgt. Baddick enlisted in the United States Army in 1999 and graduated from Jump School at Fort Benning, Georgia, on February 14, 2001.

(3) Later that same year, Sgt. Baddick reenlisted in the United States Army for six years.

(4) In 2002, Sgt. Baddick was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service while assigned as a Dismounted Infantryman in recognition of loyalty and commitment to excellence.

(5) Later that same year, Sgt. Baddick was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

(6) Sgt. Baddick received the Soldier's Medal which is awarded to any member of the United States Armed Forces who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Army, distinguishes himself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy.

(7) Sgt. Baddick was honorably serving his country while on active duty in Iraq on September 29, 2003, when he gave his life attempting to rescue a fellow soldier from a submerged military vehicle.

(8) Sgt. Baddick, beloved son of Ann Callen Baddick and Joseph Baddick, was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star.

(b) Designation.--The bridge to be constructed on State Route 903 over the Lehigh River in Jim Thorpe Borough, Carbon County, is hereby designated the Sgt. Andrew J. "AJ" Baddick 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 8. Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.