Mike Shughart speaks to the media about his brother, Randall, at a bridge dedication for SFC Randall Shughart in Newville on May 30, 2024. (Jeremy Long - WITF)
Central Pa. bridge named after hometown Medal of Honor Recipient
-
Katie Knol
Mike Shughart speaks to the media about his brother, Randall, at a bridge dedication for SFC Randall Shughart in Newville on May 30, 2024. (Jeremy Long - WITF)
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the name of the bridge.
A bridge in Newville has been named the Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart Memorial Bridge in honor of the Medal of Honor recipient who called the area home.
Shughart was killed in Somalia in 1993 while trying to defend his comrade. The journey and his final stand were dramatized in the movie “Black Hawk Down.”
The newly named bridge carries Route 641 over Big Spring Creek.
The dedication was put together by State Rep. Barb Gleim (R-Cumberland). U.S. Congressman Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and State Sen. Greg Rothman (R-Cumberland) were also in attendance.
Gleim said she was surprised when she was elected and found there hadn’t been a dedication for Shughart at the state level. She said these recognitions are important because his story can inspire others.
“Even though some of us didn’t know him personally, his actions demonstrate that he was a man of great honor and integrity,” Gleim said. “These examples need to be exhibited for generations to come, or the very spirit of what our nation was founded upon could be extinguished.”
-
- The Cedar Cliff JROTC prepares to presents the colors at a bridge dedication for SFC Randall Shughart in Newville on May 30, 2024. (Jeremy Long – WITF)
-
- Mike Shugart looks at the a framed copy of the legislation that renamed a bridge after his brother SFC Randall Shughart in Newville on May 30, 2024. (Jeremy Long – WITF)
-
- A bridge dedication for SFC Randall Shughart in Newville on May 30, 2024. (Jeremy Long – WITF)
-
- A blackhawk helicopter takes off after a bridge dedication for SFC Randall Shughart in Newville on May 30, 2024. (Jeremy Long – WITF)
Shughart’s younger brother Mike Shughart was in attendance. He accepted a framed copy of the bill dedicating the bridge, a copy of the sign and two flags.
He said his brother was “quiet and calm” throughout his life.
“If a lightning bolt hit the ground beside him, he would say, ‘That was close,’” Mike Shughart said.
The family has been involved in many dedication events, including ones for a post office and a flagpole monument at Shughart’s former high school.
Congressman Scott Perry presents a flag to Mike Shughart at a bridge dedication for SFC Randall Shughart in Newville on May 30, 2024. (Jeremy Long – WITF)
Mike Shughart said there are many other service members that could be honored, too.
“It’s probably time to look for someone new,” he said. “There’s going to be other people that deserve the appreciation.”
Sometimes, your mornings are just too busy to catch the news beyond a headline or two. Don’t worry. The Morning Agenda has got your back. Each weekday morning, host Tim Lambert will keep you informed, amused, enlightened and up-to-date on what’s happening in central Pennsylvania and the rest of this great commonwealth.
