AUGUSTA - The Maine House advanced a bill this week from Rep. Allison Hepler, D-Woolwich, that would name a portion of Route 127 in Arrowsic the Private Merwin A. Delano, Jr. Memorial Highway.
LD 2056 would honor Private Merwin A. Delano, Jr., who was 18 years old when he was killed in Vietnam in 1966. The bill received strong community support at a public hearing and a unanimous approval from the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation during its work session on Feb. 1.
"Though I never met Pvt. Delano, his heroism, resulting in both a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, remains well known," said Hepler. "Pvt. Delano's friends and family and the people of Arrowsic are proud to keep his memory alive in our community, his hometown."
Hepler brought the idea of the road name to the Arrowsic selectboard in 2023 after Walter and Phyllis Coombs of Brunswick reached out to her and the board took it to the Arrowsic Town Meeting in June for residents to consider.
Ken Chamberland, a VFW Post 7738 member and Woolwich resident, grew up with Delano and still wears a bracelet with his name on it.
"He was my best friend growing up," said Chamberland. "We did everything together, including swimming in the Sasanoa River below the Arrowsic-Woolwich bridge." Pvt. Delano is also well remembered by other Post members.
The bill faces further votes in the House and Senate.
Hepler is the House chair of the Marine Resources Committee and is a member of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee as well as the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee. She is serving her third term in the Maine House and represents Arrowsic, Georgetown, Phippsburg, West Bath and Woolwich.