Coast-to-Coast Medal of Honor Highway Project Hits Homestretch

Coast-to-Coast Medal of Honor Highway Project Hits Homestretch

by Kathleen Grathwol

With Massachusetts expected to hold a dedication ceremony and officially designate its portion of U.S. Highway 20 as the Medal of Honor Highway this July, the five-year project hits the homestretch. It is the last of 12 states along the nation’s longest road to make such a designation. Now that the Medal of Honor Highway Across America exists in 12 separate, state sections, the final step is to have Congress enact a law officially designating it as the National Medal of Honor Highway.

VVA strongly supports this project and has pledged to remain involved to the completion. In the April Board meeting, the Public Affairs Committee made a motion to support legislation currently being researched and drafted by co-sponsors U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Representative Mike Kelly (R-Pennsylvania) to designate Highway 20 as the National Medal of Honor Highway. Chair Dennis Howland has asked all Public Affairs Committee members to work on drumming up support for the upcoming legislation by contacting their local senators and representatives to voice VVA’s strong endorsement.

Dick Tobiason, lifetime VVA member, first started working on the project in 2017, working with the Bend Heroes Foundation in Oregon. Tobiason believes in symbolism. He says, “It helps us remember. And we need to make sure that veterans are not forgotten.” To that end, Tobiason conceived the Medal of Honor Highway project, which sought to have the entirety of US Highway 20, spanning 12 states for a total distance of 3,365 miles from Newport, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts, be designated as the National Medal of Honor Highway.

When Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation last week designating the 153-mile US Highway 20 across Massachusetts as Massachusetts Medal of Honor Highway, the coast-to-coast span was completed. The 12 states collectively honor about 60% of our nation’s 3,512 Medal of Honor recipients from all 50 states and territories.

With the June 29, 2022, passing of Hershel “Woody” Williams, who at 98 years of age was the oldest, living WWII Medal of Honor recipient, the completion of this historic project holds even more meaning. Tobiason comments, “These are the people who saved the world from tyranny. The memorials are important to remember what they did for the world. That’s how we got our freedoms. We stand on their shoulders, and we want to protect their heritage and legacy.”

VVA National President Jack McManus has written an official letter of support on behalf of VVA, and Board member and Public Affairs Committee Chair Dennis Howland has been reaching out to his local Congressmen. VVA state chapter presidents have also become actively involved in the planning of and participation in dedication ceremonies of state sections of the highway in Ohio, Massachusetts, and New York.

The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military medal for valor and bravery, historically honoring the “bravest of the brave.” Since the Civil War, 3,511 servicemen and one woman have received the honor, and 64 are still living today. Of those 64 surviving Medal of Honor recipients, 44 are Vietnam veterans. Nationwide recognition of their service and honoring of their sacrifice is of the utmost importance to VVA and to all Vietnam veterans. The surviving Vietnam MOH recipients, making up a whopping 69% of the total surviving recipients, represent an entire generation of Vietnam servicemembers who didn’t receive the welcome home and the recognition they deserved.

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