SOMERSET – Sen. Pat Stefano (R-32) will host a ceremony designating the bridge on state Route 403, over the Stonycreek River in Quemahoning Township, as the Captain Leroy Freeman Berkebile Memorial Bridge on Friday, Sept. 20, at 10 a.m. The ceremony will take place on the eastbound side of the bridge, near North Star Middle School.
Berkebile was a World War II and Korean War veteran who served as a pilot in the United States Navy for more than 30 years. Throughout his military career, the Somerset County native earned the “Distinguished Flying Cross” for his missions with Fighter Squadron 92, taught at the Navy’s “Top Gun” school, served in various Air Wing Command positions and simultaneously had a notable career with American Airlines, where he responded to two hijackings.
The event’s attendees will include:
- Family and friends of Berkebile
- Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar (R-69)
- Somerset County Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes
- Vince Greenland, district executive of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, District 9
Those wishing to attend are encouraged to park at North Star Middle School, 3598 Whistler Road, Stoystown.
CONTACT: Amanda Cuteri, 717-787-7175