Bridge Dedication for Iron Men of Metz
Photo courtesy of Andrew Laker of The Republic.
Article reprinted with permission by The Republic, Columbus,Ind.
A tight-knit group of World War II soldiers who
liberated the French town of Metz have another
memory to add to their collective experience.
It’s a bridge in Columbus, named for them and
their iron will.
Members of the U.S. Army 95th Division, 377th
Infantry, Company I — now in their late 80s
and early 90s — accepted hugs, handshakes and
applause Friday asthey pulled the cover off a
highway sign naming the span over Clifty Creek
on U.S. 31.
It’s now the Iron Men of Metz Memorial Bridge.
Nearly 200 people attended the ceremony, which
state Rep. Milo Smith opened bysaying the
veterans — seated in a line in the front row —
were the “Iron Men of the Hour.”
Charles “Red” Whittington, who served in the
unit and is hosting a reunion ofthe veterans
this weekend, said it meant a lot to the men
that there would be a permanent memory of their
service remembered through the bridge dedication.
And it meant a lot to him that the permanent
memory was located in his hometown.
“It’s the third time that we’ve had the guys
here in Columbus, but this makes it really
special,” he said.
Whittington’s granddaughter, Kristin, had
tears in her eyes when Smith concluded his
speech by reading Gov. Mike Pence’s executive
order to rename the local bridge.
“I’m excited and relieved, both. It’s taken
two years for this process to come through,”
Kristin Whittington said. “My grandfather was
very ill a year and a half ago. When he was
ill, he didn’t know that the process had
started. And now I’m glad it happened. I’m
glad that he was able to host his comrades.”
Whittington was released from the hospital
this week in order to be a part of the
reunion and dedication ceremony.
His family had pursued the possibility of
naming a road or bridge for the famous
infantry company for the past two years. It
was a process that had to wind its way
through the Indiana Statehouse, Pence’s
office and the federal government, but the
family’s dream of having the infantry
company recognized happened.
Friday’s ceremony should show local veterans
that area residents appreciate their service
and sacrifice, his granddaughter said.
“It’s important that everyone understand that
there is a cost to freedom,” Kristin
Whittington said.
The bridge dedication is the third tribute in
the United States to the U.S. Army 95th
Division, the other two being highways in
Kansas and Texas.
Richard Caldwell, a Columbus resident and
commander of the AMVETS Department of Indiana,
said the bridge dedication ceremony paid
tribute to honorable men.
“This is what it’s all about. Taking care of
veterans who have gone before us. We can’t
thank them enough,” Caldwell said. “They went
through so much on that day and their spirit
never wavered and our freedom today is because
of them.”
After unveiling the bridge sign, the veterans
paused to allow family and friends to take
photos. Each received a commemorative plaque
of the bridge sign as a keepsake, presented by
state Sen. Greg Walker.
They posed for photos underneath and around
the bridge sign, some wearing caps with the
95th Division insignia.
“We can never repay these guys for the debt of
gratitude we owe them, but what we can do is
never forget,” Mayor Kristen Brown said during
the ceremonies.
“It’s just a tremendous honor for the community
to be able to give these brave men and those
who couldn’t attend a lasting memory for their
efforts,” she said.
The Iron Men did not speak during the
dedication ceremonies, allowing the dignitaries
to have the podium and the well-wishers to
congratulate them as cameras clicked in a
steady pace in the background.
The bond they continue to share was apparent —
as they sat shoulder to shoulder during the
ceremony and as they shook hands after
unveiling the sign that honors their service.
Ceo Bauer, 91, said memorials such as Friday’s
ceremony have increased in meaning as time goes
on because there are fewer veterans to tell
their story.
“This is a permanent way for people to remember
the contributions we made in World War II,”
Bauer said. “We liberated Europe.”
