H1431B1842A02186 MSP:EJH 06/20/17 #90 A02186
AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE BILL NO. 1431
Sponsor: SENATOR RAFFERTY
Printer's No. 1842
Amend Bill, page 1, line 1, by striking out "a" and inserting
that
Amend Bill, page 1, line 3, by striking out the period after
"Highway" and inserting
; designating that portion of State Route 3078 and State Route
3090 in York County from the intersection with State Route
116 to the intersection with State Route 3042 as the Private
First Class Donald R. Gise Memorial Road; designating a
bridge on that portion of State Route 1005, known as Church
View Road, Segment 0180, Offset 0000, over Beaver Creek,
South Woodbury Township, Bedford County, as the PFC/POW
William G. Koontz Memorial Bridge; and designating a bridge
on that portion of State Route 588 over Interstate 376,
Chippewa Township, Beaver County, as the TFC Blake T. Coble
Memorial Bridge.
Amend Bill, page 3, by inserting between lines 26 and 27
Section 2. Private First Class Donald R. Gise Memorial Road.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as
follows:
(1) Private First Class Donald R. Gise, age 25, formerly
of Spring Grove Borough, York County, was killed in action on
October 4, 1968, while stationed in Mekong Delta, Vietnam,
while serving as an infantryman with the United States Army.
(2) Pfc. Gise was born on December 20, 1942, and
graduated from Spring Grove Area High School in 1960.
(3) Pfc. Gise was drafted into the Army in January 1968.
(4) Pfc. Gise was awarded the Bronze Star for his
service and his bravery.
(5) Pfc. Gise was survived by his wife, Linda Louis
Gise, whom he had married in 1963, and his son, Donald
Richard Gise, who was born 22 days after Pfc. Gise was killed
in action.
(b) Designation.--That portion of State Route 3078 and State
Route 3090 in York County from the intersection with State Route
116 to the intersection with State Route 3042 is hereby
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designated the Private First Class Donald R. Gise Memorial Road.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the road to
traffic in both directions on the road.
Section 3. PFC/POW William G. Koontz Memorial Bridge.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as
follows:
(1) PFC William G. Koontz of New Enterprise, was drafted
into the United States Army during the Korean War.
(2) PFC Koontz arrived in South Korea on March 25, 1951,
and along with other new arrivals was given only five days of
basic combat training before being sent to the front lines.
(3) Less than a month later on April 22, 1951, the
Soviet-backed Chinese Red Army launched a massive assault
against the United Nations and American forces. PFC Koontz
was on the front lines that day with Company E, 24th
Division, Eighth Army.
(4) Company E's location was soon overtaken by the
Chinese and PFC Koontz along with 13 other men hid in a cave
to avoid capture. After four days without food or water, the
men were forced to surrender.
(5) PFC Koontz and his fellow soldiers were taken to a
temporary prison camp, from which they started a month-long
march north to a permanent camp in North Korea. Many of PFC
Koontz's companions did not survive the journey.
(6) For 888 days, PFC Koontz endured the brutal
conditions at the Chong-song prison camp, living in mud-
walled huts without sanitation and surviving on a diet
consisting mostly of infested grain while forced into hard
labor.
(7) On August 11, 1953, PFC Koontz was released by the
Chinese and eventually returned home to Pennsylvania, where
he reunited with his family and lived a full life with his
wife, to whom he was married for over 50 years, two sons,
grandchildren and many other relatives.
(8) For his heroism and sacrifice, PFC Koontz was
awarded the Good Conduct Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Theater
Ribbon, the World War II Victory Ribbon and the Army
Occupation Medal (Japan).
(b) Designation.--The bridge located on State Route 1005,
known as Church View Road, Segment 0180, Offset 0000, over
Beaver Creek, in South Woodbury Township, Bedford County, is
hereby designated the PFC/POW William G. Koontz Memorial Bridge.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to
traffic in both directions on the bridge.
Section 4. TFC Blake T. Coble Memorial Bridge.
(a) Findings and declarations.--The General Assembly finds
and declares:
(1) Trooper First Class Blake T. Coble, a member of the
Pennsylvania State Police, passed away in the line of duty at
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the age of 47, on October 4, 2012.
(2) Born in Pittsburgh on November 15, 1964, Trooper
First Class Coble was the son of Tom and Judy Clegg Coble.
(3) Trooper First Class Coble was a member of the
Pennsylvania State Police for more than 24 years, and he had
been attached to the Brighton Township Barracks for nearly 20
years.
(4) A beloved family member, dedicated police officer
and avowed community steward, Trooper First Class Coble
exemplified the best qualities of the human experience. He
generously gave of his heart and time to enhance the quality
of life of his family and community.
(b) Designation.--The bridge located on State Route 588 over
Interstate 376 in Chippewa Township, Beaver County, is hereby
designated the TFC Blake T. Coble Memorial Bridge.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to
traffic in both directions on the bridge.
Amend Bill, page 3, line 27, by striking out "2" and
inserting
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See A02186 in
the context
of HB1431