Over the years in the United States many authorities at the federal level, state and county or municipal levels have seen fit to continue to honor Medal of Honor recipients, usually those past, but not always so. There are airports and army and coast guard and naval bases named in honor of these men. There are warships and a coastguard ship, parks, buildings, plaques and statutes and highways too. And there are the bridges also.
This is Hershel Woodrow (Woody) Williams not long ago with an image of him during his WW11 days. Woody 1st tried to join up but was rejected... he was too short... Must have known that other fellow... Audie Murphy. And like Audie he tried again, this time with more success, he was welcomed into the US Marine Corps and soon found himself in the thick of many battles. It would be for his heroism and repeated moves forward to take out the enemy with a flamethrower at Iwo Jimo that by the Fall of 1945 would see him standing in front of President Truman at the White House and having the president drape the Medal of Honor around his neck. Apparently he was not too tall for that reach either.
Woody would be honoured in many ways over the years. A state National Guard armoury would be renamed in his honor. There would also be a bridge so named at Barboursville West Virginia in his honour back in 2001. A current move wants a warship named for him. And so it should be.
Years later a good friend of Woody's... Dave Shively started talking to Woody about an idea he had. He thought there should be one bridge that could be renamed to bring honour to all of the Medal of Honor recipients. These would go back to Civil War days, would also include all those of the current time and even those in the future so awarded. Once this was done, his bigger picture would have this being an example of what could be done all across the US by the individual states, counties and even local governments everywhere.
Soon support for the idea grew and in May of 2011 a bridge along Country Road 500 East in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County Indiana, crossing over the Hoosier Heartland Corridor was selected for the honor. It would quite simply be called ... the Medal of Honor Bridge.
Woody would be honoured in many ways over the years. A state National Guard armoury would be renamed in his honor. There would also be a bridge so named at Barboursville West Virginia in his honour back in 2001. A current move wants a warship named for him. And so it should be.
Years later a good friend of Woody's... Dave Shively started talking to Woody about an idea he had. He thought there should be one bridge that could be renamed to bring honour to all of the Medal of Honor recipients. These would go back to Civil War days, would also include all those of the current time and even those in the future so awarded. Once this was done, his bigger picture would have this being an example of what could be done all across the US by the individual states, counties and even local governments everywhere.
Soon support for the idea grew and in May of 2011 a bridge along Country Road 500 East in Lafayette, Tippecanoe County Indiana, crossing over the Hoosier Heartland Corridor was selected for the honor. It would quite simply be called ... the Medal of Honor Bridge.
The bridge is located about 75 miles south of Chicago and some 280 miles west of Detroit. Most interesting that the north east corner of the state is just a few hundred miles from the Canadian border at Windsor and Detroit. The bridge now representing all MOH recipients, also includes those from Canada. The bridge could perhaps be seen as the symbolic bridge between our two nations.
On 6 May 2011 five army Medal of Honor recipients one from the US Air Force and one from the US Marine Corps ...Woody himself... arrived in Indiana to officially cut the ribbon that opened the newly named bridge. The heroes first held a ceremony in the town and took questions from the audience and then actually autographed the signs that would later be mounted on the bridge with its new name. They were flown into town in a Huey helicopter and later in the day flown right onto the bridge to finish the ceremony there and do the ribbon cutting. Woody Williams is pictured at lower left and the first on the left.
It is hoped this ceremony will spur others on to take steps to name bridges and other structures across the US for these heroes. Canadians take note that we need to be doing much more of this for ALL our MOH and VC recipients.
Travelling eastward, there is a similar move in the state of New York where it is said that one out of 4 Medal of Honor recipients had a connection to the state . Many of these came from Canada as well. Senator Pat Ritchie has organized a display recognizing some of the 45 Medal of Honor recipients that came from her political jurisdiction. The display called the Hometown Heroes will be making its way throughout her state in museums and libraries and other public places during the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Planning to take recognition even higher the senator has introduced legislation that would see some of the more than 20,000 bridges in the state renamed in honour of these men...and the lone woman from her state...Mary Walker who also was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Information can be found on the net about her efforts. But I would like to share this poster, symbolic of the others in her display.....
It is hoped this ceremony will spur others on to take steps to name bridges and other structures across the US for these heroes. Canadians take note that we need to be doing much more of this for ALL our MOH and VC recipients.
Travelling eastward, there is a similar move in the state of New York where it is said that one out of 4 Medal of Honor recipients had a connection to the state . Many of these came from Canada as well. Senator Pat Ritchie has organized a display recognizing some of the 45 Medal of Honor recipients that came from her political jurisdiction. The display called the Hometown Heroes will be making its way throughout her state in museums and libraries and other public places during the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Planning to take recognition even higher the senator has introduced legislation that would see some of the more than 20,000 bridges in the state renamed in honour of these men...and the lone woman from her state...Mary Walker who also was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Information can be found on the net about her efforts. But I would like to share this poster, symbolic of the others in her display.....
Regular visitor to this site known that James Allen came to the US from Canada and earned his Medal of Honor during Civil War days.
Later after his term of service ended he reenlisted in a railway unit. He actually worked on the building of the touring railway car for President Abe Lincoln.
But Abe saw the final product and did not like it.. he thought it was too elaborate and never road in it.
At least not while alive.
After he was assassinated the inside of the railway car was dismantled and rebuilt to accommodate the Lincoln coffin that travelled along so many miles and stops before finally getting to its place of rest.
Bart
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