CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A resolution passed by the West Virginia Legislature will rename a highway bridge over the CSX Transportation main line in Prince, W.Va., for Harold Plumley, a Chesapeake & Ohio track worker and U.S. Army veteran killed during the Korean War.
The Stanaford Road bridge on State Route 41 in Prince, known locally as Strecherneck Bridge, will be marked with signage officially recognizing it as the “U.S. Army PV2 Harold Richard Plumley Memorial Bridge.”
Plumley, who received the Purple Heart, among other military awards, was killed on June 11, 1953, during the battle of Outpost Harry, in which United Nations forces of less than 5,000 U.S. and Greek forces fought over 13,000 Chinese troops.
“Our state has a long, proud tradition of its citizens serving our country in the military, and sadly, many of those citizens have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending our freedom,” said state Sen. Jack Woodrum, who sponsored the resolution. “This bridge will honor the sacrifice that Mr. Plumley gave for his country, and will serve as a reminder for everybody who crosses it of the gratitude we owe our veterans.”
He must be related to Command Sergeant Major Basil L. Plumley USA (Ret.)
CSM Plumley was CSM of 1/7 Cav in the Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam and was also from Shady Spring, West Virginia. The 1940 census shows them both but not as siblings.