Section 25. John Emerick Memorial Bridge.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Sergeant John Emerick, a native of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1940.
(2) Following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Sergeant Emerick was deployed to the Bataan Peninsula, Philippines, initially serving in the 19th Air Base Squadron and later transferring to the 31st infantry unit in an attempt to halt the Japanese advance in the region.
(3) With limited food, water and supplies, and following the order of his commander, Sergeant Emerick, along with approximately 12,000 Americans and 63,000 Filipinos, surrendered to Japanese forces as prisoners of war and were forced to march 65 miles through the jungle with no food or water. This march would later be known as the Bataan Death March.
(4) Sergeant Emerick survived the death march and 42 months of capture and was rescued on September 12, 1945, when United States Forces liberated the prisoners of war.
(5) Sergeant Emerick was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" for valor for heroism during combat operations on April 6, 1942, on Bataan. His medals included three Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, three Presidential Unit Citations and a Prisoner of War medal.
(6) Following his return to the United States, Sergeant Emerick became a commander in the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, where he was able to assist former prisoners of war in any way he could, including work that led to a study resulting in legislation that would become the former Prisoners of War Benefits Act of 1981.
(7) Sergeant Emerick was a 50-year member of the American Legion Post in Finleyville and member of the St. Francis of Assisi Church until his death on September 22, 2009.
(b) Designation.--The bridge to be constructed on Pennsylvania Route 88 over Peters Creek in Finleyville Borough, Washington County, is designated the John Emerick Memorial Bridge.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to traffic in both directions on the bridge.