Washington, D.C. The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Monday designating U.S. 20 as the National Medal of Honor Highway, the country’s longest route.
The 3,365-mile route starts at a connection with Massachusetts Route 2 in Boston and finishes at a junction with U.S. 101 in Newport, Oregon. From Newport, the western end, to Nyssa, near the Idaho border, the Oregon section of the roadway is 451 miles.
The noncontroversial voice vote passed the bipartisan proposal. Last year, the U.S. Senate gave it its approval.It is now headed to the desk of President Joe Biden for his signature.
The name change will recognize all 3,519 Medal of recognize recipients as well as those who will get the award in the future, according to Missouri Republican Sam Graves, chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. According to him, service men who go above and beyond the call of duty and put their lives in danger to defend the United States are given the medal.
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The Bend Heroes Foundation, American Legion, Legion of Valor, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, and the Medal of Honor Historical Society of the United States all endorse the measure.
Veterans of Foreign Wars claims that Dick Tobiason, the director of the Bend Heroes Foundation and an Oregon Vietnam veteran, was the driving force behind the effort to rename U.S. 20. The Oregon Legislature and Governor named their portion of the road the Oregon Medal of Honor Highway in 2017.
Encouraged by Tobiason and state veterans organizations, all states along the road enacted identical legislation by the end of last year.
According to a statement from Tobiason, the establishment of a transcontinental National Medal of Honor Highway would serve as a lasting memorial to American service members who demonstrated extraordinary bravery and intrepidity while fighting against an American adversary, going above and beyond the call of duty and risking their lives to do so.
Brian T. Kelly, president and CEO of the Military Officers Association of America, stated in a statement that since every state, from Oregon to Massachusetts, has dedicated Highway 20 to the Medal of Honor honorees, it is time for the federal government to follow suit. It is only fitting that we commemorate all of the most courageous veterans on our country’s longest highway.
In Washington, D.C., Sabrina Eaton writes for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com about politics and the federal government.
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