Pennsylvania Act 2010-22 — CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER MICHAEL J. NOVOSEL MEMORIAL BRIDGES - DESIGNATION

Act text

AN ACT

Designating the bridges on Route 28 in the Boroughs of Etna and Sharpsburg, Allegheny County, as the Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel Memorial Bridges; and making a related repeal.

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

Section 1. Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel Memorial Bridges.

(a) Declaration of policy.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:

(1) On October 2, 1969, in the Kien Tuong Province, Republic of Vietnam, Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel, with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and above and beyond the call of duty, distinguished himself while serving as commander of a medical evacuation helicopter.

(2) Chief Warrant Officer Novosel unhesitatingly maneuvered his helicopter into a heavily fortified and defended enemy training area where a group of wounded Vietnamese soldiers were pinned down by a large enemy force.

(3) On six occasions while flying without gunship or other cover and exposed to intense enemy fire, Chief Warrant Officer Novosel was forced out of the area and circled back from a different direction in order to extract friendly troops.

(4) Near the end of the mission a wounded soldier was spotted close to an enemy bunker. Fully realizing that he would attract enemy fire, Chief Warrant Officer Novosel attempted and extracted the soldier while being injured himself.

(5) In all, 15 extractions were performed in order to remove wounded personnel. As a direct result of his selfless conduct, the lives of 29 soldiers were saved.

(6) The extraordinary heroism displayed by Chief Warrant Officer Novosel was an inspiration to his comrades-in-arms and reflects great credit on him, his unit and the United States Army.

(b) Designation.--The northbound and southbound bridges on Route 28 over State Route 8 in the Boroughs of Etna and Sharpsburg, Allegheny County are hereby designated as the Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel Memorial Bridges in recognition of the Medal of Honor recipient.

(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs to indicate the designation under subsection (b) at the beginning of each bridge so as to be visible to oncoming traffic.

Section 2. Repeals.

(a) Intent.--The General Assembly declares that the repeal under subsection (b) is necessary to effectuate this act.

(b) Provision.--Section 9 of the act of December 9, 2002 (P.L.1412, No.178), entitled "An act designating a portion of the Mon/Fayette Expressway, State Route 43, as the Yohogania County Courthouse Highway; designating the Mon/Fayette Expressway interchange connecting to Commonwealth Avenue and State Route 837 in the City of Duquesne as the First Sergeant Leonard Funk, Jr., Interchange; designating the Mon/Fayette Expressway interchange with East Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard in North Versailles as the Captain Michael John Estocin Interchange; designating an interchange of the Mon/Fayette Expressway with I-376 in Monroeville, Westmoreland County, as the Captain James A. Graham Interchange; designating the half interchange including only the westbound Mon/Fayette Expressway to I-376 and eastbound I-376 to Mon/Fayette in the City of Pittsburgh as the Lance Corporal William R. Prom Interchange; designating the Mon/Fayette Expressway interchange with Sixth Street in Braddock as the Ensign Henry Clay Drexler Interchange; designating the half interchange of the Mon/Fayette Expressway, including only westbound off and eastbound on movements, with Second Avenue in the City of Pittsburgh as the Corporal Charles E. Kelly Interchange; designating the interchange with Business Route 22 in Wilkins Township, Allegheny County, as the Staff Sergeant John Minick Interchange; designating the half interchange with access road connecting to Thompson Run Road in Penn Hills Township as the Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel Interchange; designating the interchange with Second Avenue at the north end of Glenwood Bridge in the City of Pittsburgh as the Private First Class John 'Jack' Kelly Interchange; designating the interchange connecting Camp Hollow Road in West Mifflin and Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard (Richland Avenue) in Dravosburg as the Private Franklin J. Phillips Interchange; designating a section of State Route 1011 in Clearfield, Cameron and Elk Counties as the Quehanna Highway; and designating the interchange, Exit 44, at Route 136 and Dry Run Road in Washington County as the Staff Sergeant Karl Gorman Taylor, Sr., Interchange," is repealed.

Section 3. Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.