Efforts to honor one of Mexico’s Vietnam Veterans has proven successful.

Mexico native Dr. Warren Hagan has notified the Ledger his request to have the South Fork Salt River bridge on the U.S. Business 54 Highway in Mexico named in honor of his friend James W. Cahall who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1967 has been approved.

Cahall was the first of eight Audrain County residents who were killed in Vietnam while fighting the war. The Mexico Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs all passed resolutions supporting the effort.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will honor any Veteran with signs for free. However, the efforts for Cahall ran into some issues because of prior designations. U.S. Highway 54 from Kingdom City to Mexico is named in honor of the Tiger Exercise Veterans and U.S. 54 Business Route in Mexico is named after native and former Gov. Kit Bond. 

On routes that are already designated, bridges can be used to honor Veterans. MoDOT first suggested using the bridge on the South Fork that goes over the by-pass portion of the highway but that didn’t sit right with Hagan and others. They want people from Mexico to see the signs.

Although the signs will be on the bridge Hagan and other supporters wanted, the signs will have to be set back because of safety concerns.

There is one last hurdle to clear before the signs can be installed. The effort must pass the legislative process. Hagan was told Rep. Kent Haden will introduce a resolution for the signs. The drafted resolution reads, “The bridge on Business 54 crossing over South Fork Salt River in Audrain County shall be designated as “US Army SPC4 James W Cahall Memorial Bridge”. The department of transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs designating such bridge, with the costs to be paid by the department of transportation.”