The Idaho Transportation Department recently installed permanent American flag signs on the I-84 Cloverdale Road overpass to serve as a lasting memorial to three airmen who lost their lives in a vehicle crash on that stretch of highway in 2018.
[Above photo by ITD]
ITD said in a statement that the site has become an “informal place of remembrance” for the airmen from the Mountain Home Air Force base who were killed in the multiple-vehicle crash: Senior Airman Carlos Johnson, 23; Senior Airman Lawrence Manlapit III, 26; and Senior Airman Karlie Westall, 21.
The permanent signs – made of aluminum panels and shine reflectively in red, white, and blue – will replace the fabric flags that had been placed on the overpass fence by community members in tribute, the agency said. While the fabric flags were a “meaningful expression of remembrance,” they were not designed for long-term outdoor installation along a high-traffic interstate corridor, ITD noted.
Conversely, the new signs are designed to provide a “durable, respectful, and consistent display” that could withstand weather and roadway conditions, the agency said – permanently mounted to ensure the memorial remains in place safely and securely.
Additionally, vandalism damaged previously installed fabric flags earlier this year, and ITD worked quickly with local partners to restore the display – another reason the agency said it committed to identifying a more permanent solution for the highway memorial.
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