Route 35 to be Renamed for Korean War Veterans

The length of Route 35 running through Monmouth County, including the portion in the Monmouth Shore area, will be renamed in honor of veterans of a famous Korean War battle, according to a release from state Sen. Sean Kean’s office.

A bill signed today by Gov. Chris Christie honors soldiers known as the “Chosin Few,’’ a group of American-led United Nations fighters who in 1950 held off Chinese forces in North Korea during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, according to the release.

Under the bill, Department of Transportation Commissioner James Simpson will designate the portion of Route 35 in Monmouth County as the “Chosin Few Memorial Highway,” and new signs will be erected, according to the release.

Kean and Sen. Joseph Kryillos, both R-Monmouth, sponsored the bill in the Senate. In the Assembly, Wall resident Assemblyman Dave Rible was a prime sponsor, the release said.

“This is a long awaited tribute to the soldiers who fought so bravely at the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War,” Kean said in the release.

U.N. forces inflicted heavy casualties on the Chinese and repelled multiple attacks, allowing the evacuation of 100,000 North Korean civilians resulting in the awarding of a record number of Navy Crosses and Medals of Honor, the release said.

“As time marches on it becomes too easy to forget the sacrifices that went into preserving the freedoms that we enjoy today,” Rible said in the release. “This measure will help ensure that the heroic actions of the Chosin Few will be remembered for years to come.”

A measure sponsored by Senator Sean Kean, Senator Joseph Kyrillos and Assemblyman Dave Rible, which would designate a portion of Route 35 in honor of veterans of a renowned Korean War battle, has been signed into law.

Kean said he sponsored the legislation after being contacted by Michael Sheehan, a constituent who had fought at the Chosin Reservoir. Mr. Sheehan, now deceased, was dedicated to the cause and wanted to name the highway as a tribute to the men he served with who were killed in action.

“We can never fully repay these brave soldiers for the sacrifices they made,’’ Kyrillos said in the release.  “However in memorializing their heroism, we as a community will show all who served that we will never, ever forget those who gave so much for our freedoms.”