2021 Montana Legislature

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_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT establishing the douglas martin miller memorial highway in stillwater county; directing the department of transportation to install signs at the location and to include the memorial highway on the next publication of the state highway map; and PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVE DATE."

 

WHEREAS, Douglas Martin Miller was born on July 20, 1946, in Cody, Wyoming, and grew up in Absarokee, where his father was the local pharmacist and owner of the Absarokee Drug Store; and

WHEREAS, in 1962, Douglas Miller moved with his family to Spokane, where he graduated from high school 2 years later; and

WHEREAS, Douglas Miller enlisted in the United States Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps on entering Eastern Washington University, where he graduated with a B.S. in Biology in 1968; and

WHEREAS, Douglas Miller entered service in Vietnam as a second lieutenant medevac pilot, flying UH-1 helicopters for the 68th Medical Detachment, 61st Medical Battalion under the call sign "Dustoff-84"; and

WHEREAS, Douglas Miller was awarded numerous medals including the Silver Star and attained the rank of captain for evacuating wounded while under enemy fire; and

WHEREAS, after returning from the war, Douglas Miller continued his service in the United States Army Reserve and National Guard and continued flying helicopters, including firefighting for the United States Forest Service, spraying locusts in Mali, longlining for Billings Flying Service, and operating the Help Flight for St. Vincent Hospital in Billings; and

WHEREAS, in 1980, Douglas Miller graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic and opened the Stillwater Chiropractic Service in Columbus in 1983, served as a volunteer firefighter in Absarokee and in the Columbus Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and passed away on April 22, 2020; and

WHEREAS, the 67th Legislature of the State of Montana honors Captain Douglas Miller for his service to our country.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

 

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Douglas Martin Miller memorial highway. (1) There is established the Douglas Martin Miller memorial highway on the existing state highway 78 from mile marker 33 to mile marker 47.

(2) The department shall design and install appropriate signs marking the location of the Douglas Martin Miller memorial highway that note the dates of his birth and death, and bear the message "Vietnam Veteran-Helicopter Pilot".

(3) Maps that identify roadways in the state must be updated to include the location of the Douglas Martin Miller memorial highway when the department updates and publishes the state maps.

 

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 60, chapter 1, part 2, and the provisions of Title 60, chapter 1, part 2, apply to [section 1].

 

NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective on passage and approval.