Georgia CommonsHR 1415: Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon Memorial Highway; Richmond County; dedicate
Last action February 24, 2026 · House Second Readers
A Georgia House resolution would name a stretch of U.S. 78/U.S. 278/State Route 10 in Augusta-Richmond County the Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon Memorial Highway, honoring a soldier killed in Somalia in 1993.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This resolution honors Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon, a U.S. Army soldier from Lincoln, Maine, who died in Mogadishu, Somalia, while trying to protect wounded crew members from a downed helicopter. The resolution recounts his actions during that mission, including running out of ammunition and giving his last rounds to a surviving pilot. The operative part of the resolution designates the section of U.S. 78/U.S. 278/State Route 10 running from Willhaven Drive eastward to Belfair Lakes Drive in Augusta-Richmond County as the Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon Memorial Highway. It directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to put up and maintain signs marking the dedication, and directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to Gordon's family and to the Department of Transportation.
What the bill does
- Dedicates the stretch of U.S. 78/U.S. 278/State Route 10 between Willhaven Drive and Belfair Lakes Drive in Augusta-Richmond County as the Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon Memorial Highway.
- Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the highway dedication.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send copies of the resolution to Gordon's family and to the Department of Transportation.
Who it affects
The resolution directly affects the Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain signage, and the family of Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon, who receive copies of the honor. Drivers on this stretch of road in Augusta-Richmond County will see the new memorial signage.
Why it matters
The designation creates a permanent public memorial along a Georgia highway honoring a soldier's actions in combat. It does not change traffic rules, funding, or road use; its main effect is the installation of commemorative signage in Augusta-Richmond County.
Key provisions
- The resolution's whereas clauses describe Master Sgt. Gordon's military service and the events in Mogadishu, Somalia, that led to his death.
- The first resolving clause designates the named portion of U.S. 78/U.S. 278/State Route 10 in Augusta-Richmond County as the Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon Memorial Highway.
- The second resolving clause authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs for the designation.
- The third resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to Gordon's family and the Department of Transportation.
From the bill
“the portion of U.S. 78/U.S. 278/State Route 10 from Willhaven Drive eastward to Belfair Lakes Drive in Augusta-Richmond County is dedicated as the Master Sgt. Gary I. Gordon Memorial Highway”
“Master Sgt. Gordon recovered weapons and ammunition from the crashed helicopter and elected to give the last five rounds of recovered ammunition to the pilot of the crashed helicopter”
Status timeline
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Brian Prince (D, HD-132)
- Gary Richardson (R, HD-125)
Topics
- highway dedication
- military honors
- Richmond County
- veterans