HB 1570 — An Act designating a bridge, identified as Bridge Keys 5599/5600, carrying Interstate 99 over PA Route 36 in Logan Township, Blair County, as the Jack E. and Sheldon L. Chambers Memorial Bridge.

PRINTER'S NO.     1859

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1570
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY SCHMITT, JAMES, STAATS, KAUFFMAN, BRENNAN,
        HADDOCK, ROWE, SMITH AND GILLEN, JUNE 6, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, JUNE 9, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Designating a bridge, identified as Bridge Keys 5599/5600,
 2      carrying Interstate 99 over PA Route 36 in Logan Township,
 3      Blair County, as the Jack E. and Sheldon L. Chambers Memorial
 4      Bridge.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.     Jack E. and Sheldon L. Chambers Memorial Bridge.
 8      (a)     Findings.--The General Assembly finds and declares as
 9   follows:
10            (1)   Jack E. Chambers was born June 19, 1924, in Altoona.
11            (2)   Jack E. Chambers was the son of Harry and Edna
12      Chambers and had two brothers, Harry and Thomas, and two
13      sisters, Irene and Joyce.
14            (3)   Jack E. Chambers enlisted in the United States
15      Marines Corps on June 14, 1942, at the age of 17.
16            (4)   Jack E. Chambers was stationed in Australia, New
17      Zealand, New Guinea and Guam.
18            (5)   Jack E. Chambers achieved the rank of Corporal,
19      Third Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Third Amphibious Corps,
 1    Fleet Marine Force.
 2        (6)    On July 21, 1944, while in command of an Amphibian
 3    Tractor crew during the landing of assault troops on Guam,
 4    and observing two troop-loaded tractors incapacitated by
 5    shells from an enemy mortar concentration on the reef, Jack
 6    E. Chambers without hesitation braved a hail of withering
 7    mortar fire and led his crew to the incapacitated tractors,
 8    courageously removed the troops from the wreckage and
 9    returned them to the beach, where he was subsequently killed
10    by hostile fire.
11        (7)    Jack E. Chambers was 20 years old, and for his
12    dedicated service received the Bronze Star, Purple Heart,
13    World War II Victory Medal and various service medals.
14        (8)    Jack E. Chambers is buried at the National Cemetery
15    of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
16        (9)    Sheldon L. Chambers was born November 16, 1920, in
17    Altoona.
18        (10)    Sheldon L. Chambers was the son of Oscar and Sarah
19    Chambers and had five brothers, Leroy, Reginald, Robert,
20    Russell and Charles, and three sisters, Verna, Audrey and
21    Janet.
22        (11)    Sheldon L. Chambers attended Altoona High School,
23    graduating in 1939.
24        (12)    Sheldon L. Chambers enlisted in the United States
25    Army Air Force in June 1939 following graduation from high
26    school.
27        (13)    Sheldon L. Chambers served as a Flight Officer/Co-
28    Pilot in the United States Army Air Force, 308th Bomber
29    Group, Heavy, 425th Bomber Squadron.
30        (14)    On January 25, 1944, Sheldon L. Chambers was on the

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 1      crew of the B-24J Liberator #42-73308, nicknamed "Hot as
 2      Hell," when the crew took off from Kunming Airfield in China
 3      during a routine flight to Chabua Airfield in India, where
 4      the crew was reported missing with no trace and officially
 5      declared dead on January 26, 1946.
 6            (15)    On December 7, 2006, the wreck of "Hot as Hell" was
 7      located in Damrah, Arunchal Pradesh State, India by Clayton
 8      Kuhles.
 9            (16)    For his dedicated service, Sheldon L. Chambers was
10      awarded the Air Medal, Purple Heart, United States Aviator
11      Badge Army, World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign
12      Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Army Good Conduct
13      Medal and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.
14      (b)   Designation.--The bridge, identified as Bridge Keys
15   5599/5600, carrying Interstate 99 over Pennsylvania Route 36 in
16   Logan Township, Blair County, is designated as the Jack E. and
17   Sheldon L. Chambers Memorial Bridge.
18      (c)   Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and
19   maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the bridge to
20   traffic in both directions on the bridge.
21   Section 2.      Effective date.
22      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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