Dedicates a portion of the state highway system to Donald Roy McAnn

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Jeremy Cooney says this is needed

On October 26, 1942, during the battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific Theater, Donald Roy McAnn lost his life while selflessly and courageously defending American freedom. A lifelong resident of Greece, Donald Roy McAnn was born June 23, 1911. He worked for years at Eastman Kodak Company prior to the war in the Sensitive Paper Packing Department. On August 16, 1932, McAnn enlisted in the Navy Reserves while working at Kodak. He continued as a reservist until 1940 when he was called for active military service. In the early months of the war, he was stationed on the USS Enterprise as a Gunner's Mate First Class. On October 26, 1942, McAnn's ship, the USS Enterprise was called into battle against Japanese forces in the crucial battle over the Santa Cruz Islands as part of the Guadalcanal Campaign. During the battle, McAnn was tasked with taking photographs of enemy forces for crucial intelli- gence purposes. While executing this duty in an exposed position of the ship during the battle, he disregarded his personal safety for a higher cause, and showed bravery beyond that of many in a similar situation. After taking these crucial photographs, McAnn helped render aid and assistance to the ship's gun crew. While relieving one of the gunners, McAnn was hit with a bomb shrapnel that had hit the ship. He was killed in action. McAnn was buried at sea. The photographs McAnn took in the face of danger were found to be essen- tial to US war efforts and provided valuable intelligence against Japa- nese forces in the Pacific. For his bravery and sacrifice in defense of the United States, McAnn was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously. This honor is the highest award for a naval officer, second only to the Medal of Honor. In 1943, the Secre- tary of the Navy, Frank Knox, ordered that a ship be named after McAnn and invited his widow to sponsor and launch the vessel. The USS McAnn, a Cannon-class Destroyer, served until 1944 as an escort against submarine and air attacks on US vessels on the Coastal United States and in the Caribbean. The ship in 1944 was decommissioned from US service, sold to Brazil, and was used by the Brazilian military. It is now a museum ship preserved by the Brazilian Navy's Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro. McAnn was one of 32 Greece, New York residents to give their lives as part of the US efforts to win World War II. His extraordinary acts of sacrifice, courage, and selflessness serve as exceptional examples of American patriotism and service towards a higher calling.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.