A bill proposed by state Rep. Sue Allor declaring a portion of Highway US-23 in Iosco County as the “Peter C. Lemon Highway” today was approved unanimously in a vote by the House Transportation Committee.

The section of US-23 to be named will begin at the M-55 intersection and extend south to Tawas River Bridge.

Sergeant Lemon, a Congressional Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient, served in Vietnam and bravely acted to save several members of the team he fought alongside in Tây Ninh Province in April 1970.

Despite receiving numerous wounds, Lemon was able to carry other soldiers to an aid station and refused evacuation for himself while insisting other team members be tended to first.

“Sergeant Lemon put other lives before his own, which shows true courage and dedication to the brotherhood he was a part of,” said Allor, of Wolverine. “We must always be thankful for the sacrifices of our brave men and women in our armed forces and I am honored to have this stretch of highway graced by the name of a true military hero.”

Lemon, currently 69, moved to Tawas City at age 2. After completing high school in 1968, he volunteered to enlist in the U.S. Army at a post office in East Tawas. In 2005, he donated his Congressional Medal of Honor to Tawas Area High School to serve as an inspiration to students.

The Michigan Memorial Highway Act was enacted in 2001 and allows for the naming of bridges and highways within the state. House Bill 4349 moves to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration.

PHOTO INFORMATION: State Rep. Sue Allor, of Wolverine, speaks before the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday, Sept. 10 regarding her plan to rename a portion of Highway US-23 as the “Peter C. Lemon Highway” in honor of Sergeant Peter C. Lemon.

PHOTO INFORMATION: State Rep. Sue Allor, of Wolverine, is joined by (from left) Brenda Brugger, Gen. Earl O’Loughlin, Deborah LeBlance and Peter LeBlance on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at a House Transportation Committee hearing. Allor spoke before the committee regarding her plan to rename a portion of Highway US-23 as the “Peter C. Lemon Highway” in honor of Sergeant Peter C. Lemon.