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Senate approves Submarine HiWay Bill
A US SUBMARINE VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY Coalition Of Five Missouri And Kansas Subvet Organizations Join To Make It Happen by Art Randall Posting date 30 July 2003 Shipmates of USSVI: It can now be announced. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) is in the process of preparing the legislative Bill that will mark 54 miles of US Interstate 70 as the “US Submarine Veterans Memorial Highway.” The reason for the "54"? Its significance will be all but unnoticed by the more than 1,000,000 vehicle passengers that pass the East and West signs every month. But it will be of significant value to the publicity and public relations programs, activities and campaigns of the US SubVets of WWII and the US SubVets, Inc.... as they both emphasize the 52 Boats lost during WWII and the two significant disasters of the Cold War. This accomplishment has been spearheaded by a significant and enthusiastic coalition of the Five USSVI and US SubVets WWII Bases, Chapters and Squadrons along the I -70 Corridor through Missouri and Kansas. The "I-70 Team" as the coalition will be known, was designed to initially include (although other Missouri and Kansas SubVet organizations are encouraged to participate) the USSVI USS Springfield Base and the USSV WWII ILL-MO Rebel Squadron in Eastern Missouri and the USSV WWII Muddy MO Squadron and the USSVI Topeka-Jefferson City Base in Western Missouri, joined by the Kansas based USSV WWII Dry Docked Dolphins. We have been assured that both Missouri Houses will pass the Bill at the January 2004 legislative session, and then sent to be signed by the Governor. Current plans are to have the dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with all SubVet participants and selected dignitaries circa mid 2004. Art Randall, Chairman of the I-70 Memorial Highway Memorial Development Committee is Vice President of the WWII ILL-MO Rebel Squadron, member of the USSVI USS Springfield Base, PIO of the Topeka-Jefferson City and Director of the Central Region envisions expanding the "I-70 Team" to span the entirety of US Interstate 70 from Maryland to Utah. USSVI Commanders and USSV WWII Presidents in the I-70 corridor will be contacted by members of the “I-70 Team” to assist in this epic and challenging undertaking. While not yet formally developed the current strategy is to encourage and work with any and all interested SubVet organizations along I-70 to develop their memorial highway designation programs. The first step will be to contact the Central Region Bases in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kansas to form their I-70 links to the I-70 Memorial Highway of Missouri, expanding East and West from Missouri, until the US Submarine Veterans Memorial Highway stretches from Maryland to Utah. Also, an emblem/patch has been designed to enhance this effort, in support of the participant’s financial (fund raising), publicity and public relations goals and objectives. The one below will be the Missouri I-70 contingent’s emblem/patch as a part of the "I-70 Team” of submarine veterans. For the participants of an expanding coast-to-coast coalition, a similar patch will be designed for those that want them and will be unique to each State (Each State’s I-70 shield will be at its center as shown below). The emblem/patch will highlight the SubVet organizations participating in each state just as the participants of the “I-70 Five” are shown in the inner blue band below.
If there are any questions and/or you
desire more information, Art Randall If you believe it can be, it will be! |
