At Legislature’s initiative, Alaska dedicates longer ‘Purple Heart Highway

A year after being ordered by the Alaska Legislature, the Alaska Department of Transportation is installing signs and informational displays along state highways to honor members of the U.S. military who were wounded or killed in combat.

In a ceremony last week, a holiday known as Purple Heart Day, DOT officials and veterans celebrated the newly extended Purple Heart Trail, named after the medal awarded for wounds received in combat.

Many states have formally designated Purple Heart highways, and Senate Bill 203, passed by the Alaska Legislature in 2022, extends Alaska’s version from the Canadian border to Homer, and along the Alaska Marine Highway System.

Signs and information displays have already been installed or are being installed aboard state ferries and along the newly designated highways, which collectively form the longest Purple Heart trail in the country.

Fiscal notes published in spring 2022 indicated that it would cost just over a quarter-million dollars to install the signs and displays.

Among the attendees at Monday’s ceremony was former state Sen. Josh Revak, R-Anchorage, a veteran and Purple Heart recipient who sponsored the bill.

In a written statement, Revak — now an aide to U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska — said the bill was the most impactful law he passed while in the Legislature.