YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) – Dignitaries from Marysville and Yuba City gathered Feb. 20 to rename and dedicate the 10th Street Bridge between the two cities in honor of prisoners of war and service members missing in action.
The bridge, which connects the Yuba and Sutter county seats, now carries the official designation of POW/MIA Bridge.
Army veteran and former prisoner of war Mike O’Connor addressed attendees during a ceremony at the Yuba City Council chambers.
“It’s hard for those who were never in combat to comprehend what terms like sacrifice, duty, honor, country and courage mean,” O’Connor said. “To those who were in combat, it is an unforgettable tragedy and honor.”
O’Connor spoke about his five years in captivity and the lasting impact on families at home.
“Since the Revolutionary War, approximately 1.3 million American soldiers have died, more than 500,000 have been taken as POWs, with as many as 30,000 who died during their captivity,” O’Connor said. “It is this sacrifice of these soldiers and their families that we honor here today. These are far more than signs. They are monuments.”
Veterans of Foreign Wars in Marysville began efforts to dedicate the bridge in 2004. Assemblyman James Gallagher helped advance the project.
“You can’t drive anywhere in my district and not see the recognitions of our veterans,” Gallagher said. “The work that the men and women of our military have done is what’s hard. It’s what’s honorable and what makes all of this possible.”
After the ceremony in Yuba City, attendees crossed the bridge to the Yuba County Office of Education parking lot in Marysville. Select veterans, including O’Connor, signed a commemorative plaque that will be installed behind the new bridge sign.
O’Connor later unveiled the sign near the Marysville entrance to the bridge alongside fellow veterans.