SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law Assembleyman Wesley Chesbro”s resolution to designate part of Highway 53 as “Lake County Veterans Memorial Highway.”
The resolution also serves as a tribute to Lance Cpl. Ivan Wilson of Clearlake and Sgt. 1st Class David J. Hartman, the son of a Kelseyville family. Both men died while serving in the military in the Middle East.
Wilson died in July 2008 while serving in Afghanistan. Hartman died in Pakistan in February while working in support of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Before serving in Afghanistan, Wilson served in Iraq. Hartman served in Iraq and completed a previous tour in Afghanistan before his death.
“The whole idea about the memorial highway designation is to provide a small token of appreciation for the tremendous sacrifices our service men and women and their families have given to us,” said Carl Webb, a member of the Rotary Club of Clearlake and the person who first introduced the idea to designate the highway. “One of the real pleasures that I received by doing this project was the honor of meeting several of our veterans whom I might otherwise have never known.”
The Lake County Veterans Memorial Highway runs from Route 53”s junction with Highway 29 in Lower Lake to the junction of sate Route 20 in Clearlake Oaks.
“Millions of California residents have served our country in the military and they deserve our gratitude,” Chesbro said. “Designating a highway in their honor is the least we can do to show our appreciation.”
The resolution garnered support from the Clear Lake City Council, Lake County Board of Supervisors, the Rotary Club of Clearlake, the American Legion Post 194, the Lake County Disabled Veterans of America, Lake County Voiture 912 40 and 8, Operation Tango Mike, Vietnam Veterans of America, chapter 951 and the Veteran”s of Foreign Wars of the United States.
Contact Olga Munoz at onmunoz@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
