In Chester County, a road to glory

A section of Route 23 between Chester County's border with Montgomery County and Route 100 will be dedicated tomorrow as the Medal of Honor Grove Highway tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the Freedoms Foundation, where the Medal of Honor Grove is located, PennDot officials said yesterday.

"I couldn't think of a better way to honor our veterans who have received our nation's highest military honor and to remind residents and motorists that the Medal of Honor Grove, a unique and historic memorial site, is located right here in Chester County," said State Sen. Andrew Dinniman, who will lead the dedication.

The legislation, introduced by Dinniman earlier this year, passed both the House and Senate and was recently signed into law as Act 80 of 2011 by Gov. Corbett. Dinniman will be joined by PennDot officials, local veterans, members of the nonprofit organization, the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove, and special guest speaker and Medal of Honor Recipient retired Maj. General James Livingston, USMC.

The 52-acre Grove, located at the rear of the Freedoms Foundations headquarters near Phoenixville, is the nation's oldest memorial site dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients. It is divided into one-acre plots for each state, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. Each plot features an obelisk and metal plaques set in the ground, honoring Medal recipients dating back to the Civil War.

Dinniman said he became involved in this project last year because the Grove had fallen into disrepair, raising questions about its future. He worked to organize a massive community cleanup that was attended by more than 1,000 local residents, students, veterans and volunteer organizations, an effort which spawned the Friends of the Medal of Honor Grove, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the care and maintenance of the site.

Tomorrow's ceremony will take place at the Walk of Honor, located at the entrance to the Grove at the rear of the Freedoms Foundation's Headquarters, 1601 Valley Forge Rd., Phoenixville. In case of inclement weather, it will be held in the Knox Building.