HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1382, 1726 PRINTER'S NO. 1947
No. 1130 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY KASUNIC, OCTOBER 5, 1999
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
MAY 15, 2000
AN ACT
1 Designating CERTAIN INTERCHANGES ON THE MON-FAYETTE EXPRESSWAY, <--
2 SR 43, IN WASHINGTON AND FAYETTE COUNTIES AS THE SERGEANT
3 ARCHIBALD MATHIES INTERCHANGE, THE COLONEL MITCHELL PAIGE
4 INTERCHANGE AND THE CORPORAL ALFRED L. WILSON INTERCHANGE;
5 DESIGNATING a bridge in Fayette County as the Point Marion
6 AREA Veterans' Memorial Bridge; DESIGNATING A PROPOSED <--
7 INTERSECTION ON STATE ROUTE 43 WITH STATE ROUTE 51 IN
8 ALLEGHENY COUNTY; AND DESIGNATING AN INTERSECTION ON STATE
9 ROUTE 43 (MON-FAYETTE EXPRESSWAY) WITH INTERSTATE ROUTE 70 IN
10 WASHINGTON COUNTY.
11 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HEREBY FINDS THAT:
12 (1) BORN IN SCOTLAND, SERGEANT MATHIES ENTERED MILITARY
13 SERVICE AT PITTSBURGH IN WORLD WAR II AND SERVED WITH THE
14 510TH BOMBER SQUADRON, 351ST BOMBER GROUP, OVER EUROPE. HE
15 WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR HIS CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY
16 AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.
17 THE CITATION READS:
18 FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT RISK OF LIFE
19 ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY IN ACTION AGAINST THE
20 ENEMY IN CONNECTION WITH A BOMBING MISSION OVER ENEMY-
1 OCCUPIED EUROPE ON 20 FEBRUARY 1944. THE AIRCRAFT ON
2 WHICH SGT. MATHIES WAS SERVING AS ENGINEER AND BALL
3 TURRET GUNNER WAS ATTACKED BY A SQUADRON OF ENEMY
4 FIGHTERS WITH THE RESULT THAT THE COPILOT WAS KILLED
5 OUTRIGHT, THE PILOT WOUNDED AND RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS, THE
6 RADIO OPERATOR WOUNDED AND THE PLANE SEVERELY DAMAGED.
7 NEVERTHELESS, SGT. MATHIES AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CREW
8 MANAGED TO RIGHT THE PLANE AND FLY IT BACK TO THEIR HOME
9 STATION, WHERE THEY CONTACTED THE CONTROL TOWER AND
10 REPORTED THE SITUATION. SGT. MATHIES AND THE NAVIGATOR
11 VOLUNTEERED TO ATTEMPT TO LAND THE PLANE. OTHER MEMBERS
12 OF THE CREW WERE ORDERED TO JUMP, LEAVING SGT. MATHIES
13 AND THE NAVIGATOR ABOARD. AFTER OBSERVING THE DISTRESSED
14 AIRCRAFT FROM ANOTHER PLANE, SGT. MATHIES' COMMANDING
15 OFFICER DECIDED THE DAMAGED PLANE COULD NOT BE LANDED BY
16 THE INEXPERIENCED CREW AND ORDERED THEM TO ABANDON IT AND
17 PARACHUTE TO SAFETY. DEMONSTRATING UNSURPASSED COURAGE
18 AND HEROISM, SGT. MATHIES AND THE NAVIGATOR REPLIED THAT
19 THE PILOT WAS STILL ALIVE BUT COULD NOT BE MOVED AND THEY
20 WOULD NOT DESERT HIM. THEY WERE THEN TOLD TO ATTEMPT A
21 LANDING. AFTER TWO UNSUCCESSFUL EFFORTS, THE PLANE
22 CRASHED INTO AN OPEN FIELD IN A THIRD ATTEMPT TO LAND.
23 SGT. MATHIES, THE NAVIGATOR, AND THE WOUNDED PILOT WERE
24 KILLED.
25 (2) BORN IN CHARLEROI, WASHINGTON COUNTY, COLONEL PAIGE,
26 NOW 81 YEARS OLD, WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR HIS
27 EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY IN ACTION
28 WHILE SERVING AS A MARINE NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICER IN THE
29 SOLOMON ISLANDS IN WORLD WAR II. THE CITATION READS:
30 FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AND CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY IN
19990S1130B1947 - 2 -
1 ACTION ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY WHILE SERVING
2 WITH A COMPANY OF MARINES IN COMBAT AGAINST ENEMY
3 JAPANESE FORCES IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS ON 26 OCTOBER
4 1942. WHEN THE ENEMY BROKE THROUGH THE LINE DIRECTLY IN
5 FRONT OF HIS POSITION, P/SGT. PAIGE, COMMANDING A MACHINE
6 GUN SECTION WITH FEARLESS DETERMINATION, CONTINUED TO
7 DIRECT THE FIRE OF HIS GUNNERS UNTIL ALL HIS MEN WERE
8 EITHER KILLED OR WOUNDED. ALONE, AGAINST THE DEADLY HAIL
9 OF JAPANESE SHELLS, HE FOUGHT WITH HIS GUN AND WHEN IT
10 WAS DESTROYED, TOOK OVER ANOTHER, MOVING FROM GUN TO GUN,
11 NEVER CEASING HIS WITHERING FIRE AGAINST THE ADVANCING
12 HORDES UNTIL REINFORCEMENTS FINALLY ARRIVED. THEN,
13 FORMING A NEW LINE, HE DAUNTLESSLY AND AGGRESSIVELY LED A
14 BAYONET CHARGE, DRIVING THE ENEMY BACK AND PREVENTING A
15 BREAKTHROUGH IN OUR LINES. HIS GREAT PERSONAL VALOR AND
16 UNYIELDING DEVOTION TO DUTY WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE
17 HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE U.S. NAVAL SERVICE.
18 (3) BORN IN FAIRCHANCE, GREENE COUNTY, CORPORAL WILSON
19 SERVED WITH THE MEDICAL DETACHMENT, 328TH INFANTRY, 26TH
20 INFANTRY DIVISION, NEAR BEZANGE LA PETITE, FRANCE, IN WORLD
21 WAR II. HE WAS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR HIS
22 DISTINGUISHED DEVOTION TO DUTY AND PERSONAL SACRIFICE WHICH
23 HELPED TO SAVE THE LIVES OF AT LEAST TEN WOUNDED MEN. THE
24 CITATION READS:
25 HE VOLUNTEERED TO ASSIST AS AN AID MAN IN A COMPANY OTHER
26 THAN HIS OWN, WHICH WAS SUFFERING CASUALTIES FROM
27 CONSTANT ARTILLERY FIRE. HE ADMINISTERED TO THE WOUNDED
28 AND RETURNED TO HIS OWN COMPANY WHEN A SHELLBURST INJURED
29 A NUMBER OF ITS MEN. WHILE TREATING HIS COMRADES HE WAS
30 SERIOUSLY WOUNDED, BUT REFUSED TO BE EVACUATED BY LITTER
19990S1130B1947 - 3 -
1 BEARERS SENT TO RELIEVE HIM. IN SPITE OF GREAT PAIN AND
2 LOSS OF BLOOD, HE CONTINUED TO ADMINISTER FIRST AID UNTIL
3 HE WAS TOO WEAK TO STAND. CRAWLING FROM 1 PATIENT TO
4 ANOTHER, HE CONTINUED HIS WORK UNTIL EXCESSIVE LOSS OF
5 BLOOD PREVENTED HIM FROM MOVING. HE THEN VERBALLY
6 DIRECTED UNSKILLED ENLISTED MEN IN CONTINUING THE FIRST
7 AID FOR THE WOUNDED. STILL REFUSING ASSISTANCE HIMSELF,
8 HE REMAINED TO INSTRUCT OTHERS IN DRESSING THE WOUNDS OF
9 HIS COMRADES UNTIL HE WAS UNABLE TO SPEAK ABOVE A WHISPER
10 AND FINALLY LAPSED INTO UNCONSCIOUSNESS. THE EFFECTS OF
11 HIS INJURY LATER CAUSED HIS DEATH. BY STEADFASTLY
12 REMAINING AT THE SCENE WITHOUT REGARD FOR HIS OWN SAFETY,
13 CPL. WILSON THROUGH DISTINGUISHED DEVOTION TO DUTY AND
14 PERSONAL SACRIFICE HELPED TO SAVE THE LIVES OF AT LEAST
15 TEN WOUNDED MEN.
16 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
17 hereby enacts as follows:
18 Section 1. The bridge carrying U.S. Route 119 over the Cheat <--
19 SECTION 1. INTERCHANGE DESIGNATIONS. <--
20 (A) SERGEANT ARCHIBALD MATHIES INTERCHANGE.--EXIT 48 ON SR
21 43, THE MON-FAYETTE EXPRESSWAY INTERCHANGE WITH SR 1006 IN
22 WASHINGTON COUNTY IS HEREBY DESIGNATED AS THE SERGEANT ARCHIBALD
23 MATHIES INTERCHANGE.
24 (B) COLONEL MITCHELL PAIGE INTERCHANGE.--EXIT 39 ON SR 43,
25 THE MON-FAYETTE EXPRESSWAY INTERCHANGE WITH SR 2025 IN
26 WASHINGTON COUNTY IS HEREBY DESIGNATED AS THE COLONEL MITCHELL
27 PAIGE INTERCHANGE.
28 (C) CORPORAL ALFRED L. WILSON INTERCHANGE.--EXIT 8 ON SR 43,
29 THE MON-FAYETTE EXPRESSWAY INTERCHANGE WITH SR 3029 IN FAYETTE
30 COUNTY IS HEREBY DESIGNATED AS THE CORPORAL ALFRED L. WILSON
19990S1130B1947 - 4 -
1 INTERCHANGE.
2 (D) SIGNING.--THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE COMMISSION SHALL
3 ERECT APPROPRIATE SIGNS TO INDICATE THESE DESIGNATIONS.
4 SECTION 2. BRIDGE DESIGNATION.
5 (A) POINT MARION AREA VETERANS' MEMORIAL BRIDGE.--THE BRIDGE
6 CARRYING U.S. ROUTE 119 OVER THE CHEAT River between Point
7 Marion Borough and Springhill Township, in Fayette County, is
8 designated the Point Marion AREA Veterans' Memorial Bridge. <--
9 Section 2. (B) SIGNING.--At each end of the bridge <--
10 designated in THIS section 1, the Department of Transportation <--
11 shall erect and maintain signs which display the name of the
12 bridge.
13 SECTION 3. CAPTAIN REGINALD DESIDERIO INTERCHANGE. <--
14 (A) DESIGNATION.--THE PROPOSED INTERCHANGE ON STATE ROUTE 43
15 WITH STATE ROUTE 51 IN JEFFERSON HILLS BOROUGH, ALLEGHENY
16 COUNTY, IS DESIGNATED THE CAPTAIN REGINALD DESIDERIO
17 INTERCHANGE.
18 (B) PLAQUE.--THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE COMMISSION SHALL
19 ERECT A PLAQUE INDICATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF CAPTAIN
20 REGINALD DESIDERIO IN THE KOREAN WAR WHICH EARNED HIM THE MEDAL
21 OF HONOR AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C).
22 (C) BIOGRAPHY.--REGINALD B. DESIDERIO WAS BORN SEPTEMBER 12,
23 1918, IN CLAIRTON, PENNSYLVANIA. HE ENTERED THE ARMY IN GILROY,
24 CALIFORNIA. DESIDERIO SERVED AS COMMANDING OFFICER WITH COMPANY
25 E, 27TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 25TH INFANTRY DIVISION.
26 NEAR IPSOK, KOREA, NOVEMBER 27, 1950, CAPTAIN DESIDERIO
27 DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY
28 AT THE REPEATED RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF
29 DUTY. HIS COMPANY WAS GIVEN THE MISSION OF DEFENDING THE COMMAND
30 POST OF A TASK FORCE AGAINST AN ENEMY BREAKTHROUGH. AFTER
19990S1130B1947 - 5 -
1 PERSONAL RECONNAISSANCE DURING THE DARKNESS AND UNDER INTENSE
2 ENEMY FIRE, HE PLACED HIS MEN IN DEFENSIVE POSITIONS TO REPEL AN
3 ATTACK. EARLY IN THE ACTION HE WAS WOUNDED, BUT REFUSED
4 EVACUATION AND DESPITE ENEMY FIRE CONTINUED TO MOVE AMONG HIS
5 MEN CHECKING THEIR POSITIONS AND MAKING SURE EACH ELEMENT WAS
6 PREPARED TO RECEIVE THE NEXT ATTACK. AGAIN WOUNDED, DESIDERIO
7 CONTINUED TO DIRECT HIS MEN. BY INSPIRING LEADERSHIP, HE
8 ENCOURAGED THEM TO HOLD THEIR POSITION. IN THE SUBSEQUENT
9 FIGHTING, WHEN THE FANATICAL ENEMY SUCCEEDED IN PENETRATING THE
10 POSITION, DESIDERIO PERSONALLY CHARGED THEM WITH RIFLE, CARBINE
11 AND GRENADES, INFLICTING MANY CASUALTIES UNTIL HIMSELF MORTALLY
12 WOUNDED. SPURRED ON BY HIS EXAMPLE, COMPANY E REPELLED THE FINAL
13 ATTACK.
14 CAPTAIN DESIDERIO'S HEROIC LEADERSHIP, COURAGEOUS AND LOYAL
15 DEVOTION TO DUTY AND HIS DISREGARD FOR PERSONAL SAFETY REFLECTED
16 THE HIGHEST HONOR ON HIMSELF AND WAS IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST
17 TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY. HIS MEDAL OF HONOR WAS
18 ISSUED UNDER GENERAL ORDER NO. 58, AUGUST 2, 1951.
19 SECTION 4. COLONEL WALTER J. MARM, JR., INTERCHANGE.
20 (A) DESIGNATION.--THE INTERCHANGE ON STATE ROUTE 43 (MON-
21 FAYETTE EXPRESSWAY) WITH INTERSTATE ROUTE 70 IN WASHINGTON
22 COUNTY IS DESIGNATED THE COLONEL WALTER J. MARM, JR.,
23 INTERCHANGE.
24 (B) PLAQUE.--THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE COMMISSION SHALL
25 ERECT A PLAQUE INDICATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF COLONEL WALTER
26 J. MARM, JR., IN THE VIETNAM WAR WHICH EARNED HIM THE MEDAL OF
27 HONOR AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (C).
28 (C) BIOGRAPHY.--WALTER J. MARM, JR., WAS BORN NOVEMBER 20,
29 1941, IN WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA. HE ENTERED SERVICE AT
30 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.
19990S1130B1947 - 6 -
1 NEAR IA DRANG VALLEY, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, NOVEMBER 14, 1965,
2 COLONEL (THEN SECOND LIEUTENANT) MARM DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF BY
3 CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE CONSTANT RISK OF
4 HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. HIS COMPANY WAS
5 MOVING THROUGH THE VALLEY TO RELIEVE A FRIENDLY UNIT SURROUNDED
6 BY AN ENEMY FORCE OF ESTIMATED REGIMENTAL SIZE. COLONEL MARM LED
7 HIS PLATOON THROUGH WITHERING FIRE UNTIL THEY WERE FINALLY
8 FORCED TO TAKE COVER. REALIZING THAT HIS PLATOON COULD NOT HOLD
9 VERY LONG, AND SEEING FOUR ENEMY SOLDIERS MOVING INTO HIS
10 POSITION, HE MOVED QUICKLY UNDER HEAVY FIRE AND ANNIHILATED ALL
11 FOUR. THEN, SEEING THAT HIS PLATOON WAS RECEIVING INTENSE FIRE
12 FROM A CONCEALED MACHINE GUN, HE DELIBERATELY MADE HIMSELF KNOWN
13 TO DRAW ITS FIRE. THUS LOCATING ITS POSITION, HE ATTEMPTED TO
14 DESTROY IT WITH AN ANTITANK WEAPON. ALTHOUGH HE INFLICTED
15 CASUALTIES, THE WEAPON DID NOT SILENCE THE ENEMY FIRE. QUICKLY,
16 DISREGARDING THE INTENSE FIRE DIRECTED ON HIM AND HIS PLATOON,
17 HE CHARGED 30 METERS ACROSS OPEN GROUND AND HURLED GRENADES INTO
18 THE ENEMY POSITION, KILLING SOME OF THE EIGHT INSURGENTS MANNING
19 IT. ALTHOUGH SEVERELY WOUNDED, WHEN HIS GRENADES WERE EXPENDED,
20 ARMED WITH ONLY A RIFLE, HE CONTINUED THE MOMENTUM OF HIS
21 ASSAULT ON THE POSITION AND KILLED THE REMAINDER OF THE ENEMY.
22 COLONEL MARM'S SELFLESS ACTIONS REDUCED THE FIRE ON HIS PLATOON,
23 BROKE THE ENEMY ASSAULT, AND RALLIED HIS UNIT TO CONTINUE TOWARD
24 THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THIS MISSION.
25 COLONEL MARM'S GALLANTRIES ON THE BATTLEFIELD AND HIS
26 EXTRAORDINARY INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ARE IN THE
27 HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AND REFLECT GREAT
28 CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND THE ARMED FORCES OF HIS COUNTRY. HIS
29 MEDAL OF HONOR WAS ISSUED UNDER GENERAL ORDER NO. 7, FEBRUARY
30 15, 1967.
19990S1130B1947 - 7 -
1 Section 3 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days. AS <--
2 FOLLOWS:
3 (1) SECTION 1 SHALL TAKE EFFECT IN 180 DAYS.
4 (2) SECTIONS 2, 3 AND 4 SHALL TAKE EFFECT IN 60 DAYS.
5 (3) THIS SECTION SHALL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.
I17L36JS/19990S1130B1947 - 8 -