While Oregon may have started the trend, Washington residents are just as committed to honoring and recognizing veterans by renaming some of the largest highways in the state. US Highway 97 starts in a city called Weed in Northern California, runs north through Oregon, and traverses Washington from the Oregon border at Maryhill to the Canadian border near Oroville. In May 2009, Oregon Senate passed a bill to rename US 97 as “World War II Veterans Historic Highway”.
Being next in line along the highway, Klickitat County in Washington eventually picked up the baton and continued the work. In early 2019, a group of Klickitat county citizens began planning a World War II commemoration ceremony, scheduled for August 2020 to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the end of the War. One of the tasks for this project was to see about renaming the county’s portion of Highway 97, and in February of 2020 the Washington State Transportation Commission approved Resolution 738 renaming US Highway 97 from the Oregon border to milepost 33.5 to “WORLD WAR II VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY”. Even though the original in-person event had to be canceled due to the pandemic, the World War II Veterans were still honored, and the highway renaming was announced.
On the heels of the support and success of the Klickitat county endeavers, residents of Douglas County petitioned for the same designation along the same highway within its county borders. Starting in September of 2021 and spearheaded by Douglas county citizen and Veteran David Schwab (member of VFW Post 3617), signatures and letters of support were collected and supporters voiced their opinions at local meetings. Within 6 months, the proposals were heard by the Transportation Commission, and on 20 April 2022, Resolution 745 was approved, naming the portions of US Highway 97 within the borders of Douglas County to “WORLD WAR II VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGHWAY”. In early March 2023, the first new sign was placed at [insert location description here], as seen in the photo to the right.
US Highway 97 isn’t the only major road in Washington that got a new name as a way to honor Veterans. Thanks to the initiative of Okanogan county residents and Veterans Louie Wilson and Arnie Marchand (members of American Legion Post 84), State Route 20 within Okanogan county is now named “Vietnam War Veterans’ Memorial Highway”. While they had originally intended to focus on Highway 97, it became clear that pursuing the renaming of State Route 20 would be a more-achievable route (pun intended). Even still, the campaign process took nearly a year before the Transportation Commission approved Resolution 746 on 23 January 2023. According to the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune, dedication ceremonies will take place in conjunction with Memorial Day events.
With plenty of highway in Washington still unnamed, will we see a day when, from border to border, a single highway is named in honor and recognition of Veterans from “the Greatest Generation”? As others have shown us, with some dedication, publicity, and public support, it can happen. Will we see other counties in Washington take similar actions soon?
