PRINTER'S NO. 2965
No. 2249 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY DALEY, FEBRUARY 10, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, FEBRUARY 10, 2000
AN ACT
1 Designating certain interchanges on the Mon-Fayette Expressway,
2 SR 43, in Washington and Fayette Counties as the Sergeant
3 Archibald Mathies Interchange, the Colonel Mitchell Paige
4 Interchange and the Corporal Alfred E. Wilson Interchange.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Findings.
8 (a) Sergeant Archibald Mathies.--Born in Scotland, Sergeant
9 Mathies entered military service at Pittsburgh in World War II
10 and served with the 510th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group,
11 over Europe. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his
12 conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life and beyond
13 the call of duty. The citation reads:
14 For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life
15 above and beyond the call of duty in action against the
16 enemy in connection with a bombing mission over enemy-
17 occupied Europe on 20 February 1944. The aircraft on
18 which Sgt. Mathies was serving as engineer and ball
1 turret gunner was attacked by a squadron of enemy
2 fighters with the result that the copilot was killed
3 outright, the pilot wounded and rendered unconscious, the
4 radio operator wounded and the plane severely damaged.
5 Nevertheless, Sgt. Mathies and other members of the crew
6 managed to right the plane and fly it back to their home
7 station, where they contacted the control tower and
8 reported the situation. Sgt. Mathies and the navigator
9 volunteered to attempt to land the plane. Other members
10 of the crew were ordered to jump, leaving Sgt. Mathies
11 and the navigator aboard. After observing the distressed
12 aircraft from another plane, Sgt. Mathies' commanding
13 officer decided the damaged plane could not be landed by
14 the inexperienced crew and ordered them to abandon it and
15 parachute to safety. Demonstrating unsurpassed courage
16 and heroism, Sgt. Mathies and the navigator replied that
17 the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and they
18 would not desert him. They were then told to attempt a
19 landing. After two unsuccessful efforts, the plane
20 crashed into an open field in a third attempt to land.
21 Sgt. Mathies, the navigator, and the wounded pilot were
22 killed.
23 (b) Colonel Mitchell Paige.--Born in Charleroi, Washington
24 County, Colonel Paige, now 81 years old, was awarded the Medal
25 of Honor for his extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry
26 in action while serving as a marine noncommissioned officer in
27 the Solomon Islands in World War II. The citation reads:
28 For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry in
29 action above and beyond the call of duty while serving
30 with a company of marines in combat against enemy
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1 Japanese forces in the Solomon Islands on 26 October
2 1942. When the enemy broke through the line directly in
3 front of his position, P/Sgt. Paige, commanding a
4 machinegun section with fearless determination, continued
5 to direct the fire of his gunners until all his men were
6 either killed or wounded. Alone, against the deadly hail
7 of Japanese shells, he fought with his gun and when it
8 was destroyed, took over another, moving from gun to gun,
9 never ceasing his withering fire against the advancing
10 hordes until reinforcements finally arrived. Then,
11 forming a new line, he dauntlessly and aggressively led a
12 bayonet charge, driving the enemy back and preventing a
13 breakthrough in our lines. His great personal valor and
14 unyielding devotion to duty were in keeping with the
15 highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.
16 (c) Corporal Alfred E. Wilson.--Born in Fairchance, Greene
17 County, Corporal Wilson served with the Medical Detachment,
18 328th Infantry, 26th Infantry Division, near Bezange la Petite,
19 France, in World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for
20 his distinguished devotion to duty and personal sacrifice which
21 helped to save the lives of at least ten wounded men. The
22 citation reads:
23 He volunteered to assist as an aid man in a company other
24 than his own, which was suffering casualties from
25 constant artillery fire. He administered to the wounded
26 and returned to his own company when a shellburst injured
27 a number of its men. While treating his comrades he was
28 seriously wounded, but refused to be evacuated by litter
29 bearers sent to relieve him. In spite of great pain and
30 loss of blood, he continued to administer first aid until
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1 he was too weak to stand. Crawling from 1 patient to
2 another, he continued his work until excessive loss of
3 blood prevented him from moving. He then verbally
4 directed unskilled enlisted men in continuing the first
5 aid for the wounded. Still refusing assistance himself,
6 he remained to instruct others in dressing the wounds of
7 his comrades until he was unable to speak above a whisper
8 and finally lapsed into unconsciousness. The effects of
9 his injury later caused his death. By steadfastly
10 remaining at the scene without regard for his own safety,
11 Cpl. Wilson through distinguished devotion to duty and
12 personal sacrifice helped to save the lives of at least
13 10 wounded men.
14 Section 2. Interchange designations.
15 (a) Sergeant Archibald Mathies Interchange.--Exit 48 on SR
16 43, the Mon-Fayette Expressway interchange with SR 1006 in
17 Washington County is hereby designated as the Sergeant Archibald
18 Mathies Interchange.
19 (b) Colonel Mitchell Paige Interchange.--Exit 39 on SR 43,
20 the Mon-Fayette Expressway interchange with SR 2025 in
21 Washington County is hereby designated as the Colonel Mitchell
22 Paige Interchange.
23 (c) Corporal Alfred E. Wilson Interchange.--Exit 8 on SR 43,
24 the Mon-Fayette Expressway interchange with SR 3029 in Fayette
25 County is hereby designated as the Corporal Alfred E. Wilson
26 Interchange.
27 Section 3. Signing.
28 The Department of Transportation shall erect appropriate
29 signs to indicate these designations.
30 Section 4. Effective date.
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1 This act shall take effect in 180 days.
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