Over the weekend, it was announced that a bill co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Dave Reed and State Senator Don White to re-name the Diamondville Bridge in honor of Sgt. Robert Eugene Goodlin received approval from Governor Tom Wolf. Now comes word that more bridges in the county will be re-named to honor veterans and fallen soldiers from the area.
Senator Don White’s office announced that on Monday, the Seate gave approval to a bill to rename the Bairdstown Bridge that carries Old Route 22 over the Conemaugh River the Blairsville Area Veterans Memorial Bridge and to rename the bridge that takes Route 85 over Plum Creek in Plumville as the Henry Lue Weaver Memorial Bridge. The bill had contained just the Bairdstown Bridge request, which was endorsed by the Blairsville American Legion, the VFW, Blairsville Borough Council and Derry Township’s Supervisors. The aim was to pay tribute to all veterans, as there is a large number of veterans from the Blairsville Community. The new Blairsville Area Veterans Memorial Bridge is located just several hundred yards away from the Blairsville Area Veterans Memorial.
The State House had amended the original request to include the Henry Lue Weaver bridge in Plumville. Private First Class Weaver was drafted into the Army in August of 1966 and was killed in action on April 22nd of 1967 while serving with the 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th division in Vietnam.
The bill now heads to the Governor for his approval.
