House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

Posted:	February 9, 2016 09:13 AM
From:	Representative R. Lee James
To:	All House members
Subject:	Specialist Jonathan R. Kephart Memorial Bridge

Colleagues, I respectfully ask that you join me in co-sponsoring legislation to name the Petroleum Street Bridge over the Allegheny River in Oil City, PA, the Specialist Jonathan R. Kephart Memorial Bridge. Specialist Kephart gave his life in Baghdad, Iraq on April 8th, 2004, in defense of his unit and his country. Specialist Kephart was a member of 2nd Squad, 4th Platoon, 230th Military Police Company. On his tenth day of duty in Iraq, his unit was tasked with a rescue mission to assist another Military Police unit surrounded by enemy combatants. It was a 4 kilometer drive through hostile territory. As part of a 3 vehicle convoy, Jonathan fired his .50 caliber machine gun and other weapons against what became a 300-500 man enemy force, all armed with small arms, mortars, RPGs, and IEDs. He was witnessed inflicting numerous enemy casualties and is attributed with preventing his small force from being overrun. Sadly he received mortal wounds during the fight, the only trooper in his unit to perish that day. He was truly Proven in Battle. Again, I ask for you to join me in honoring this true American Hero.
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Introduced as HB1856