Section 1. Jack E. Kuhn Memorial Highway.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) Jack E. Kuhn was born on June 10, 1919, in the City
of Altoona and led an exemplary life of service to his
family, community and country.
(2) In 1939 Jack Kuhn enlisted in the Pennsylvania
National Guard 104th Horse Cavalry, 28th Division. On March
10, 1942, four months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Jack
Kuhn enlisted in the United States Army. On April 1, 1943, he
began training along with three officers and 65 enlisted men
as part of the D Company 2nd Ranger Battalion. D Company was
dispatched and involved in the assault on Pointe Du Hoc in
France on June 6, 1944, now known as D-Day.
(3) As part of this battle, Jack Kuhn and his fellow
Rangers rope-climbed the cliffs while German soldiers
bombarded them with grenades and machine gun and rifle fire.
The Rangers never gave up and reached the top of the cliffs,
pushing the Germans back. Jack Kuhn and his platoon leader
were charged with the task of finding the 155 mm guns that
were being used to decimate the landing troops. Jack Kuhn's
bravery, while facing what many felt was certain death,
disarmed five of the six 155 mm guns and saved countless
lives of his fellow soldiers.
(4) Within minutes of immobilizing the 155 mm guns, the
German infantry surrounded the men of D Company, who were
without communication and dangerously low on ammunition, and
pinned them down for more than 48 hours until they were
relieved. By the end of the battle, D Company was left with
only 15 out of the 65 men.
(5) Jack Kuhn and the remaining members of D Company
went on to fight in the Battle of Brest, where Jack was
injured and was told he would be shipped home. Jack Kuhn, not
willing to leave his company behind and be sent home, found a
way to rejoin the D Company in Belgium and went on to fight
in eight more major battles, including the famous Battle of
the Bulge, where D Company once again suffered many
casualties. D Company marched all the way to Pilsen,
Czechoslovakia, by the end of the war.
(6) Jack Kuhn returned home and joined the Altoona
Police Department on July 1, 1949, as a patrolman. However,
Jack's desire to serve his country led him to return to the
military as a Gunnery Sergeant for the Amphibious Recon 2nd
Marine Division FMF during the Korean War.
(7) Jack Kuhn received two Silver Star awards, the
Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the French Fouragere, the
Combat Infantry Badge, the Presidential Unit Citation, the
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and the
British Medal of Valor. In 1994 Jack was inducted into the
Ranger Hall of Fame.
(8) After his service in the Korean War, Jack returned
to the Altoona police force and went on to become a Detective
Sergeant, Captain of the Criminal Investigation Division and
Deputy Chief. He was promoted to Chief of the Altoona Police
Department in July 1973 and retired in August 1976.
(9) Jack Kuhn continued to serve his community as a
school bus driver until 2001.
(10) Jack Kuhn, a devoted servant to his family,
community and country, passed away on December 4, 2002, at
the age of 83.
(b) Designation.--The portion of State Route 4013 known as Chestnut Avenue in the City of Altoona and Logan Township, Blair County, from 8th Street to North 8th Street (Juniata) is hereby designated the Jack E. Kuhn Memorial Highway.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain signs at both ends of the roadway designated in subsection (b).