Libby bridge to be named in honor of Vietnam vet

Efforts to have the bridge on Montana Highway 37 above the Kootenai River in Libby named after a local war hero came to fruition last week in Helena.

Gov. Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 25 into law Thursday, Jan. 16, naming the bridge after U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Arthur J Rambo. 

“Honored to help pay tribute to the late Staff Sergeant Arthur J. Rambo alongside his family and friends,” Gov. Gianforte said in a statement on X. “Through the dedication of the Libby bridge, we recognize Artie, and all fallen heroes, for their life of service.”

Sen. Mike Cuffe, of Eureka, who represents Lincoln County, sponsored the bill following local efforts to see Rambo recognized for giving his life in defense of the United States.

“I’m extremely happy,” Cuffe said in a Friday interview with The Western News. “It’s been a tender and touching experience. There were a lot of tears in both chambers when they heard his story.

“This is a man who could have taken a deferment and not went, but that’s not what Arthur did,” Cuffe said. “I’m glad I got to carry that bill.”

Rambo was killed in action at the age of 23 on Thanksgiving Day 1969 in the Vietnam War. He served in the Blackhorse 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment near the Cambodian border. 

The bill was unanimously approved in the Senate, 50-0, and by a 97-2 count in the House of Representatives. State Rep. Neal Duram, also of Eureka, presented and moved SB 59 through the House of Representatives, culminating in Gov. Gianforte stating he felt honored to sign the bill - the first bill to be presented and passed this Legislative session.

Plans are now being formulated to create the plaques by the Department of Transportation. They will be mounted on each end of the bridge.  

A date for the dedication ceremony has not been set yet, but is expected to happen when the likelihood of good weather is more probable, such as Memorial Day or the Fourth of July.

The bill originated following a conversation between Libby High School alumnus Mark Fennessy (1965) and Libby VFW Harper Erdman Post 1548 Assistant Commander Keith Kidwell last year.  

Fennessy shared a memory displaying Rambo’s character in high school followed by the suggestion that the bridge be dedicated in Rambo’s memory. After gathering letters and nearly 1,000 signatures in support for the suggested bridge naming, Kidwell submitted the proposal to Cuffe, who represents Senate District 2.

Libby resident Patty Rambo is Arthur’s sister.

“I’m overwhelmed right now,” Rambo said in an interview with The Western News. “I’ve dealt with his loss for a long time. To see people who never heard of Artie until six days ago to be moved the way they were, it’s a sign of good in the world.

“It was worth the time and the pain of publicly reliving family history.  We're glad we allowed the story to come out after all these years of carrying and protecting it in our hearts.

“The Staff Sergeant Arthur J Rambo Memorial Bridge will be a testament of Arthur’s service and duty to his country but it will also be a reminder to remember and honor all Vietnam soldiers,” she said. “Art’s family and friends hope this will be a healing for those who lost loved ones and those who came home to an ungrateful nation.”

Rambo was very appreciative of Cuffe’s efforts.

“Mike went 1,000 percent to get this bill through the Senate,” she said. “He was absolutely superb.”

A commendation for Rambo when he posthumously received the Silver Star for his actions on that fateful day explained his actions.

“Sgt. Arthur John Rambo, United States Army, was serving as an artilleryman with the Howitzer Battery, 3rd Squadron, 11th Armored Calvary Regiment, in the Republic of Vietnam when his squadron command post came under intense mortar and ground attack from a North Vietnamese Army force.

“A rocket-propelled grenade slammed into a cargo vehicle next to him and erupted into fire. Sgt. Rambo immediately began alerting personnel and directing them away from the area. He then crawled to the burning vehicle and attempted to drive it out of the area. Suddenly another grenade hit the vehicle and he was thrown to the ground.

“Undaunted, he crawled to a self-propelled howitzer and started the engine. The vehicle was hit by another rocket-propelled grenade and he was fatally injured.

“Sgt. Rambo’s heroic actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army.”

The Silver Star is the third highest medal awarded in the military.

Patty Rambo was also appreciative of those who traveled to the state Capitol to support the bill.

“Tony Smith testified twice at Senate and House committee hearings on the bill,” Rambo said. “We had great support from (Gov.) Marc Raciot, who hosted us at a reception Jan. 7 at Carroll College following the introduction of the bill.”

Rambo, like Raciot, is a graduate of Carroll College.

The reception was for Carroll alumni who performed with Arthur in the Carrolleer Singing Ambassador organization, friends, family and the public.

Rambo was born Dec. 16, 1944, in Seattle. The family lived in Japan for about two years while his father served with the U.S. Army of Occupation. Rambo’s family moved to Libby in 1948 and his parents, Howard and Viola, worked for the U.S. Forest Service.

He graduated in the top 10 of his class from Libby High School in 1963. He then earned a degree in mathematics from Carroll College plus a chemical engineering degree from Notre Dame. He married Helen Ryan in 1967 and they had two children - the youngest was born after he arrived in Vietnam. 

Texaco Oil Company also offered him a position with a guaranteed draft deferment. Since he was expecting the birth of his first child, Kerry Lynn, later in June and because he felt he could serve his country, and his family, equally well as a chemical engineer with Texaco, Rambo opted to sign with Texaco, a decision he didn't take lightly.

Rambo wanted to learn the oil business from the bottom up. With this decision in place, Rambo started his career toiling in the oil fields of Golden, Colorado as a roustabout.

Rambo left behind a wife and two infant daughters, Kerry Lynn and Amy Denise. As witnessed in the committee hearings, family and friends still feel the loss of this remarkable young man.  

He was eligible for two deferments, but when his draft notice arrived, he chose to serve his country.  

Rambo told his wife Helen, “Serving your country is the price you pay for living here.”  

He felt that, “If he didn’t go, someone else would have to go in his place.

“He promised his wife that he wouldn’t be a hero, he’d come home. The Silver Star represents a different story. He came home in a flag-draped coffin escorted by his best friend. His mom stated in a documentary filmed 20 years later, “Heroes don’t always come home.”