03/06/2008 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

HB 283-PURPLE HEART TRAIL                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:03:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JOHANSEN announced  that the final order  of business would                                                               
be SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE  BILL NO. 283 "An Act designating                                                               
the Alaska  Highway and  a portion of  the Richardson  Highway as                                                               
the Purple Heart Trail."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:04:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JIM ISTURIS, Staff to Representative  Berta Gardner, Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, testified  that SSHB 283 would  establish the Purple                                                               
Heart Trail.   The  Purple Heart  is a medal  that is  awarded to                                                               
common  soldiers  who  have  been  injured  or  have  died  while                                                               
fighting for  America.  The  Purple Heart  Trail is an  effort to                                                               
remind the public of the  soldiers who have fought and sacrificed                                                               
for  America.   The Purple  Heart Trail  started in  Virginia and                                                               
currently  crosses 43  states and  Alaska will  hopefully be  the                                                               
  th                                                                                                                            
44.    There  is a  large military  presence in  Alaska  and this                                                               
trail will  serve as a  reminder of Alaska's appreciation  of the                                                               
service and sacrifice of military members.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JOHANSEN stated  his intention to hold SSHB  283 until next                                                               
week.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
RON SIEBELS,  Military Order Of  The Purple Heart, stated  he has                                                               
been working hard on  this issue for over a year  and is proud to                                                               
say  there wide  support across  Alaska.   Representative Gardner                                                               
and Senator  Ellis helped get  this issue before  the legislature                                                               
and Governor  Palin and  other statewide  veterans' organizations                                                               
support the  bill, he  related.  The  two major  communities that                                                               
would be in the center of  the trail, Tok and Delta Junction, are                                                               
in  support of  the  bill.   Also  supporting  the  bill are  the                                                               
Anchorage mayor,  the Anchorage  Assembly, and the  three members                                                               
of Alaska's congressional  delegation.  He said he  would like to                                                               
show that Alaska has a heart  that matches its size when it comes                                                               
to honoring  veterans, and passage  of SSHB 283 would  do exactly                                                               
that.  Alaska  will continually be visited by  many travelers who                                                               
either know someone or are related  to someone who was wounded or                                                               
killed in battle, and the Purple  Heart Trail signs will create a                                                               
warm and positive impression on  those visitors.  The trail would                                                               
therefore provide a  twofold gain by honoring  wounded and killed                                                               
veterans  and  promoting  a  warm  and  visible  welcome  to  the                                                               
visitors whose own  lives have been affected by  the Purple Heart                                                               
recipients they know and love.   The Purple Heart Trail is a word                                                               
designation only,  no highway names  or numbers will change.   He                                                               
said  he passionately  believes in  America's Purple  Heart Trail                                                               
and Alaska's officials will walk  proudly into the future knowing                                                               
they helped  to get this  done.  This  bill for the  Purple Heart                                                               
Trail is  the right thing to  do.  On behalf  of Alaska's combat-                                                               
wounded veterans, he asked for  the committee's unanimous support                                                               
in passing SSHB 283.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:08:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JOHANSEN stated that due to  lack of time, SSHB 283 will be                                                               
held over and considered next week.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DOOGAN, for  purposes  of the  record, asked  Mr.                                                               
Siebels  to state  why  this particular  stretch  of highway  was                                                               
picked to be the Purple Heart Trail.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. SIEBELS  said different roads  were talked about, but  it was                                                               
thought  that this  was  probably  the best  one  because of  its                                                               
military  history and  the  original  Alaska-Canadian Highway  in                                                               
World  War  II.    This  highway  was  chosen  for  its  military                                                               
significance, the number of travelers  coming into the state, and                                                               
because it is the only route into Alaska.