Pennsylvania Act 2013-87 — LIEUTENANT GENERAL WILLIAM M. KEYS BRIDGE - DESIGNATION

Act text

An Act

Designating the bridge carrying State Route 88 over the Ten Mile Creek connecting Jefferson Township, Greene County, and East Bethlehem Township, Washington County, as the Lieutenant General William M. Keys Bridge.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Lieutenant General William M. Keys Bridge.

(a) Findings.--

(1) Lieutenant General William M. Keys was born in Fredericktown, Pennsylvania.

(2) Lieutenant General Keys graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a bachelor of science degree in 1960. He also holds a master's degree from American University and an honorary doctorate in public service from Washington and Jefferson College.

(3) Lieutenant General Keys' professional military education includes The Basic School, Amphibious Warfare School and the Command and Staff College. He is also a graduate of the National War College.

(4) Lieutenant General Keys served as company commander with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment during the Vietnam Conflict. As captain, he led units against the numerically superior North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong forces.

(5) During Lieutenant General Keys' second tour of duty in Vietnam, he served as a major and an advisor to a Vietnamese Marine brigade.

(6) Lieutenant General Keys served as Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Division during Desert Storm.

(7) In his capacity as Commanding General, Lieutenant General Keys prepared more than 20,500 marines, the heaviest marine division ever assembled, for deployment and combat operations in the Persian Gulf.

(8) During Desert Storm, Lieutenant General Keys developed a highly successful two-axis attack, which marked him a superb tactical leader. General Norman Schwarzkopf praised Lieutenant General Keys' two-axis attack by calling it "Simply brilliant!"

(9) Lieutenant General Keys has been awarded the Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat "V", two Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Cross of Gallantry, Legion of Merit with Combat "V", Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze stars.

(10) Lieutenant General Keys has also been chosen to wear Colonel Merritt A. "Red Mike" Edson's rank insignia, an honor fewer than 12 marines have ever received.

(11) Lieutenant General Keys served 34 years in the United States Marine Corps at every level of operational command and was the Marine Corps Liaison Officer to the United States Senate and Deputy, Joint Secretariat, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C.

(12) Lieutenant General Keys retired from the United States Marine Corps on September 1, 1994.

(b) Designation.--The bridge carrying State Route 88 over the Ten Mile Creek connecting Jefferson Township, Greene County, and East Bethlehem Township, Washington County, is hereby designated as the Lieutenant General William M. Keys 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. Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.