BILL NUMBER: S9909
SPONSOR: GALLIVAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the highway law, in relation to dedicating a portion of
the state highway system to Lt. Col. Matt L. Urban
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL::
To dedicate a portion of the state highway to Polish American World War
II Hero Lt. Col. Matt L. Urban.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section one. Amends the highway law by adding a new section 345-e to
dedicate a portion of the state highway system constituting Walden
Avenue in the Village of Lancaster, County of Erie, between its inter-
sections with Veteran Drive and Traceway to Lt. Col. Matt L. Urban.
§ 2. Directs the commissioner of transportation to provide for the
installation and maintenance of adequate signing. Such signage shall
state "Highway Dedicated to Lt. Col. Matt L. Urban.
§ 3. Sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION::
Lt. Col. Matt L. Urban was a Polish American World War II Veteran born
in Buffalo, New York in 1919. Urban began his Army career with the 60th
Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina,
and would end up spending much of the war with his unit, eventually
rising to battalion commander. Although severely wounded, he would stay
in the theater leading his men in some form until they all went home
after the war's end. Urban first saw combat in November 1942 during
Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. The 60th Infantry
landed on the Moroccan coast, fighting the Vichy French. By February of
the following year, Urban and the 60th Infantry were fighting the
Germans in Tunisia. His unit was hit on all four sides by two enemy
battalions. After four hours of fighting, the Americans had held
He arrived in France on June 11, 1944, and was facing down Germans three
days later. As his company was held up by two incoming enemy tanks,
their bazooka gunner went down. Urban called on an ammo carrier to
follow him as he picked up the bazooka and took out both. That same
day, he was staring down German tanks with a bazooka yet again, this
time near Orglandes, but the German fired first. A 37-mm tank gun round
tore through his leg, but he refused to leave the field. After a medic
attended to his wound, he kept directing the action while being carried
on a stretcher. It wasn't until he was wounded again the next day that
he was forced to go to a field hospital. Back in England, Urban had
taken to training troops who were bound for Normandy so he wouldn't be
evacuated to the United States. When a group of them boarded a troop
carrier bound for the front, Urban simply hopped on board. He showed up
at the 2nd Battalion's command post with a limp and a cane to take
command of his old unit.
Urban would stay in the Army until after the war was over. He returned
home to Michigan, where he spent the rest of his life with his wife and
children. He worked as the Director of the civic and recreation depart-
ment in Holland. He worked with underprivileged children, volunteered
for the Red Cross and helped train boy scouts. Lt. Col. Matt L. Urban
passed away on March 4th, 1995 at the age of 75 from a collapsed lung
that stemmed from war injuries he sustained during combat. Throughout
his military service, he received 29 awards including 7 purple hearts
and received the medal of honor from President Jimmy Carter in 1980.
During the ceremony the President referred to Matt Urban as the greatest
soldier in American history. The only reason Urban didn't receive the
Medal of Honor for single-handedly breaking an entire battalion through
France while wounded was because the people who were supposed to recom-
mend him for the award were killed or captured. But the accounts of
everyone who fought with him were "remarkably consistent" even 35 years
later: Matt Urban was fearless in the face of the enemy.
In honor of his undeniable bravery, heroism and sacrifice for the United
States of America, this legislation dedicates a portion of the state
highway in the Village of Lancaster, between intersections with Veteran
Drive and Traceway. This dedication will serve as a reminder of Lt. Col.
Matt L. Urban's lifelong commitment to his community and Country.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS::
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE::
This act shall take effect immediately.