PRINTER'S NO. 795
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
657
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY CORMAN, MAY 17, 2019
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, MAY 17, 2019
AN ACT
Designating a portion of Pennsylvania Route 144 beginning at the
intersection of Pennsylvania Route 64 in Pleasant Gap and
ending at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 45 in Centre
Hall, Centre County, as the Duster-Quad 50-Searchlight
Highway.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Duster-Quad 50-Searchlight Highway.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as
follows:
(1) Dusters, quad .50s and searchlights were weapons
used by the United States Army, grouped together as separate
small units, and deployed to Vietnam starting in 1966 and
ending in 1972.
(2) Duster was the nickname given to a weapon mounted on
a tank chassis with two 40 mm guns mounted on top.
(3) Quad 50 was the nickname for a weapon that had
four .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the back of a two
and one-half ton truck.
(4) Searchlights provided white light and infrared
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illumination to assist the United States Army in the defense
of combat bases at night.
(5) Several hundred soldiers from this Commonwealth
served in units heavily armed with dusters, quad .50s and
searchlights.
(6) The 1st Battalion, 44th Artillery, with Battery G of
the 65th Artillery and Battery G of the 29th Artillery
attached, was the highest decorated unit of its size to fight
in the Vietnam War.
(7) As a unit equipped with dusters, quad .50s and
searchlights, the unit was awarded over 450 medals for valor,
including the Medal of Honor, and was awarded over 1000
Purple Hearts.
(8) During the Vietnam War, units equipped with dusters,
quad .50s and searchlights suffered the loss of 211 soldiers,
including five soldiers from this Commonwealth.
(b) Designation.--The portion of Pennsylvania Route 144
beginning at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 64 in
Pleasant Gap and ending at the intersection of Pennsylvania
Route 45 in Centre Hall, Centre County, is designated as Duster-
Quad 50-Searchlight Highway.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the highway to
traffic in both directions on the highway.
Section 2. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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