PRINTER'S NO. 900
No. 781 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY WOJNAROSKI, BAKER, BARRAR, BEYER, CALTAGIRONE,
CAPPELLI, CARROLL, COHEN, DALEY, DENLINGER, FLECK, FRANKEL,
GABIG, GALLOWAY, GEIST, GEORGE, GERGELY, GINGRICH, GOODMAN,
GRUCELA, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, HESS, M. KELLER, W. KELLER,
KOTIK, MANN, McILHATTAN, MILLARD, NAILOR, PALLONE, PAYNE,
PETRARCA, PETRONE, PHILLIPS, RAMALEY, RAPP, REED, REICHLEY,
SCAVELLO, SOLOBAY, SONNEY, STERN, R. STEVENSON, SURRA, VEREB,
VULAKOVICH, WALKO, YOUNGBLOOD, JAMES, KULA, SIPTROTH AND
MURT, MARCH 19, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 19, 2007
AN ACT
1 Redesignating the Maple Avenue Bridge on State Route 271 in the
2 City of Johnstown, Cambria County, as the Colonel John Joseph
3 Tominac Memorial Bridge.
4 WHEREAS, Colonel John Joseph Tominac, a native son of
5 Conemaugh who later lived in Franklin Borough, bravely served
6 our country with distinction in Europe during World War II as a
7 member of Company I, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry
8 Division, of the United States Army; and
9 WHEREAS, Colonel Tominac was awarded the Congressional Medal
10 of Honor by Lieutenant General Alexander M. Patch on April 22,
11 1945, at Zeppelin Stadium in Nuremberg, Germany; and
12 WHEREAS, The citation presented with the medal recognized
13 Colonel Tominac, then a First Lieutenant, for conspicuous
14 gallantry and bravery at the risk of life above and beyond the
15 call of duty in an attack on Saulx de Vesoul, France, on
1 September 12, 1944; and
2 WHEREAS, Despite a painful shoulder wound from enemy
3 shrapnel, Colonel Tominac fought with outstanding heroism and
4 displayed exemplary leadership; and
5 WHEREAS, His actions resulted in the destruction of four
6 successive enemy defensive positions, surrender of a vital
7 sector of the city of Saulx de Vesoul and the death of at least
8 60 enemy soldiers; and
9 WHEREAS, Colonel Tominac was also awarded the Legion of Merit
10 with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star with "V" and Oak Leaf
11 Cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation
12 Medal, the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Unit Citation with
13 Oak Leaf Cluster, the French Fourragere and the Combat Infantry
14 Badge; and
15 WHEREAS, After a distinguished military career of 37 years,
16 including service in the Korean War, this dedicated army officer
17 retired in 1979 and passed away in 1998 at the age of 76.
18 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
19 hereby enacts as follows:
20 Section 1. Colonel John Joseph Tominac Memorial Bridge.
21 (a) Designation.--The bridge carrying State Route 271 over
22 the Little Conemaugh River and the Norfolk Southern mainline in
23 the City of Johnstown, Cambria County, known as the Maple Avenue
24 Bridge, is redesignated as the Colonel John Joseph Tominac
25 Memorial Bridge.
26 (b) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
27 maintain appropriate signs displaying the redesignated name of
28 the bridge to traffic in both directions.
29 Section 2. Effective date.
30 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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