Today in Wheeling History: December 7--Then-West Virginia Governor Cecil H. Underwood issued a proclamation naming Interstate 470 in West Virginia the USS West Virginia Memorial Highway, honoring the battleship USS West Virginia and its crew who served at Pearl Harbor (2000).
The proclamation was issued on the 59th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where the USS West Virginia was severely damaged by seven torpedoes and two armor-piercing bombs. The 10.63-mile Interstate 470, which bypasses the city of Wheeling, became a memorial to both the battleship and its brave crew. The battleship USS West Virginia, commissioned in 1923, was a source of pride for West Virginians throughout its service. Despite sustaining heavy damage at Pearl Harbor that claimed the lives of 106 crew members, the ship was salvaged and reconstructed. It went on to play a crucial role in various Pacific campaigns, including the Battle of Surigao Strait - the last battleship-versus-battleship engagement in naval history. The naming of I-470 as the USS West Virginia Memorial Highway serves as a lasting tribute to the vessel's significant role in World War II and its special connection to the state. The highway, completed in 1983, remains an important transportation artery through Ohio County, connecting Ohio and West Virginia while preserving the memory of the historic battleship.
Wikipedia: (https://shorturl.at/NrWI8) (https://shorturl.at/06iV1), Wheeling News-Register (https://shorturl.at/Co2mY)
Photo credits: U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons
The proclamation was issued on the 59th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where the USS West Virginia was severely damaged by seven torpedoes and two armor-piercing bombs. The 10.63-mile Interstate 470, which bypasses the city of Wheeling, became a memorial to both the battleship and its brave crew. The battleship USS West Virginia, commissioned in 1923, was a source of pride for West Virginians throughout its service. Despite sustaining heavy damage at Pearl Harbor that claimed the lives of 106 crew members, the ship was salvaged and reconstructed. It went on to play a crucial role in various Pacific campaigns, including the Battle of Surigao Strait - the last battleship-versus-battleship engagement in naval history. The naming of I-470 as the USS West Virginia Memorial Highway serves as a lasting tribute to the vessel's significant role in World War II and its special connection to the state. The highway, completed in 1983, remains an important transportation artery through Ohio County, connecting Ohio and West Virginia while preserving the memory of the historic battleship.
Wikipedia: (https://shorturl.at/NrWI8) (https://shorturl.at/06iV1), Wheeling News-Register (https://shorturl.at/Co2mY)
Photo credits: U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons
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