Pennsylvania Act 2008-74 — MARINE SERGEANT DAVID "DJ" EMERY, JR. HIGHWAY - DESIGNATION

Act text

MARINE SERGEANT DAVID "DJ" EMERY, JR. HIGHWAY - DESIGNATION
                  Act of Jul. 9, 2008, P.L. 983, No. 74               Cl. 36
                                  AN ACT

     Designating a portion of State Route 26 in Centre County as the
        Marine Sergeant David "DJ" Emery, Jr. Highway; designating
        the bridge on State Route 322 joining Clearfield and Centre
        Counties as the Veterans' Memorial Bridge; designating a
        portion of State Route 850 in Marysville Borough, Perry
        County, as the Army Private David E. Dietrich Memorial
        Highway; and designating a portion of U.S. Route 322 in
        Centre County as the Thomas D. Larson Memorial Highway.

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

     Section 1.  Marine Sergeant David "DJ" Emery, Jr. Highway.
        (a)  Declaration of policy.--The General Assembly finds and
     declares as follows:
            (1)  David "DJ" Emery, Jr., was born August 23, 1985. He
        graduated from Bellefonte Area High School in 2003 and
        studied masonry at the Centre County Vocational-Technical
        School. He was always an active outdoorsman and had a love of
        motorcycles.
            (2)  Emery enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in
        June 2003 and, following completion of basic training, was
        deployed to Iraq in 2004 and then again in 2006.
            (3)  Private First Class Emery served with distinction in
        the 4th Battalion, 2nd Marines, 2/4 Gulf Company until
        February 7, 2007, when he was seriously wounded in an attack
        by a suicide bomber.
            (4)  Emery was promoted to Sergeant on May 9, 2007.
        (b)  Designation.--State Route 26 in Marion and Spring
     Townships, Centre County, from segments 450/748 to 570/000 is
     hereby designated as the Marine Sergeant David "DJ" Emery
     Highway.
        (c)  Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
     maintain appropriate signs to indicate the designation under
     subsection (b).
     Section 2.  Veterans' Memorial Bridge.
        (a)  Designation.--The bridge joining Clearfield and Centre
     Counties on State Route 322 is designated and shall be known as
     the Veterans' Memorial Bridge.
        (b)  Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
     maintain appropriate signs which shall display the name of the
     bridge designated in subsection (a) at each end of the bridge
     and at the sides of the bridge so that persons traveling on
     State Route 322 can see the designation referred to in
     subsection (a).
     Section 3.  Army Private David E. Dietrich Memorial Highway.
        (a)  Declaration of policy.--The General Assembly finds and
     declares as follows:
            (1)  David E. Dietrich was born January 14, 1985. He
        graduated from Susquenita High School, Perry County, in 2004.
        He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 56, and the
        Marysville Fire Company.
            (2)  Private Dietrich enlisted in the United States Army
        in March 2006, graduated from the United States Army Training
        Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky, on July 20, 2006, and a short
        time later was deployed to Iraq.
            (3)  Private Dietrich served with distinction in F Troop,
        1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Bridge Combat Team, 1st Armored
        Division until December 29, 2006, when he was fatally wounded
        when his combat patrol unit came under attack by small arms
        fire from enemy forces in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
        (b)  Designation.--State Route 850 throughout Marysville
     Borough, Perry County, is hereby designated as the Army Private
     David E. Dietrich Memorial Highway.
        (c)  Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
     maintain appropriate signs to indicate the designation under
     subsection (b).
     Section 4.  Thomas D. Larson Memorial Highway.
        (a)  Declaration of policy.--The General Assembly finds and
     declares as follows:
            (1)  Thomas D. Larson served as Secretary of
        Transportation from 1979 to 1987 during Governor Richard
        Thornburgh's administration.
            (2)  Thomas D. Larson is recognized as the individual who
        was instrumental in reforming the Pennsylvania Department of
        Transportation and making it a national model of
        professionalism and innovation.
            (3)  After completing his service as secretary, Thomas D.
        Larson was sworn in as Federal Highway Administrator on
        August 10, 1989, and served until 1993.
            (4)  During his tenure as Federal Highway Administrator,
        he played an important role in the crafting of the Intermodal
        Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) (Public
        Law 102-240, 105 Stat. 1914).
            (5)  Before and after his public service to the
        Commonwealth and the United States, Thomas D. Larson also
        distinguished himself as a researcher and professor of civil
        and environmental engineering at The Pennsylvania State
        University, College of Engineering, and in preparing the next
        generation of transportation professionals.
            (6)  Pennsylvania lost a dedicated public servant,
        teacher and community leader on July 20, 2006.
        (b)  Designation.--U.S. Route 322 in Harris, College and
     Patton Townships, Centre County, from Segment Nos. 450/748 to
     570/000 is hereby designated as the Thomas D. Larson Memorial
     Highway.
        (c)  Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
     maintain appropriate signs to indicate the designation under
     subsection (b).
     Section 5.  Effective date.
        This act shall take effect in 60 days.