Today in Wheeling History: July 23 - The Sunday News-Register published an article reporting that the West Virginia Division of Highways had recently erected signs officially naming the Washington Avenue Bridge in Ohio County the "U.S. Army SPC-5 Joseph Richard 'Rick' Schafer Memorial Bridge" in honor of Schafer, who died while serving in Vietnam in 1971 (2016).
According to an article from the Sunday News-Register newspaper dated July 23, 2016, the West Virginia Division of Highways recently erected signs at both ends of the Washington Avenue Bridge that crosses above Interstate 70 in Ohio County, officially naming the bridge the "U.S. Army Spc. Joseph Richard 'Rick' Schafer Memorial Bridge" in honor of Schafer, who was killed while serving in Vietnam in 1971 at the age of 22.
Joseph Richard "Rick" Schafer was born on April 29, 1949 in Wheeling, West Virginia. He grew up enjoying Little League baseball and high school football, graduated from Wheeling Central Catholic High School, and attended West Liberty University prior to being drafted into the U.S. Army on May 29, 1969. After training as a Construction Equipment Repairer, Schafer was initially deployed to Germany for six months before his orders were changed, sending him to Vietnam on Sept. 15, 1970. He served with Company A of the 544th Engineer Battalion, 159th Engineer Group , 20th Engineer Brigade until he was tragically killed on May 6, 1971, when the military vehicle he was driving was involved in an accident.
In late 2015, Schafer's sister Lynne Schafer of Wheeling requested that the bridge he frequently crossed near his home be dedicated in her brother's memory through the office of state Sen. Ryan Ferns. Sen. Ferns sponsored the bipartisan bill, Senate Concurrent Resolution 36, in the Legislature to have the bridge formally renamed. The resolution was adopted on March 12, 2016, and the Division of Highways subsequently erected the signs to honor the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army SPC-5 Joseph Richard "Rick" Schafer.
To learn more: (https://shorturl.at/dGOxJ) (https://shorturl.at/drykq) (https://shorturl.at/raHo2) (https://shorturl.at/326r6) (https://shorturl.at/UBOP4) (https://shorturl.at/VyI8g) (https://shorturl.at/VpDMZ) (https://shorturl.at/239YJ) (https://shorturl.at/elElU)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, Wheeling Sunday News-Register, Find a Grave, Google Maps
According to an article from the Sunday News-Register newspaper dated July 23, 2016, the West Virginia Division of Highways recently erected signs at both ends of the Washington Avenue Bridge that crosses above Interstate 70 in Ohio County, officially naming the bridge the "U.S. Army Spc. Joseph Richard 'Rick' Schafer Memorial Bridge" in honor of Schafer, who was killed while serving in Vietnam in 1971 at the age of 22.
Joseph Richard "Rick" Schafer was born on April 29, 1949 in Wheeling, West Virginia. He grew up enjoying Little League baseball and high school football, graduated from Wheeling Central Catholic High School, and attended West Liberty University prior to being drafted into the U.S. Army on May 29, 1969. After training as a Construction Equipment Repairer, Schafer was initially deployed to Germany for six months before his orders were changed, sending him to Vietnam on Sept. 15, 1970. He served with Company A of the 544th Engineer Battalion, 159th Engineer Group , 20th Engineer Brigade until he was tragically killed on May 6, 1971, when the military vehicle he was driving was involved in an accident.
In late 2015, Schafer's sister Lynne Schafer of Wheeling requested that the bridge he frequently crossed near his home be dedicated in her brother's memory through the office of state Sen. Ryan Ferns. Sen. Ferns sponsored the bipartisan bill, Senate Concurrent Resolution 36, in the Legislature to have the bridge formally renamed. The resolution was adopted on March 12, 2016, and the Division of Highways subsequently erected the signs to honor the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army SPC-5 Joseph Richard "Rick" Schafer.
To learn more: (https://shorturl.at/dGOxJ) (https://shorturl.at/drykq) (https://shorturl.at/raHo2) (https://shorturl.at/326r6) (https://shorturl.at/UBOP4) (https://shorturl.at/VyI8g) (https://shorturl.at/VpDMZ) (https://shorturl.at/239YJ) (https://shorturl.at/elElU)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, Wheeling Sunday News-Register, Find a Grave, Google Maps
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