Bend’s Dick Tobiason is rallying support for one last national push to rename U.S. Highway 30 from Astoria to Atlantic City to honor the U.S. military’s Gold Star families.

In a May 12 email, Tobiason sought help for the effort from leaders of the American Gold Star Mothers Inc. in Washington, D.C., America’s Gold Star Families in Kamiah, Idaho, and the Gold Star Wives of America Inc. in Birmingham, Alabama.

Gold stars are symbols of military families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty. Families usually display small flags with the stars.

Tobiason is an 88-year-old retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and master aviator who spent two tours in Vietnam. Since 2010, he has led the nonprofit Bend Heroes Foundation, which raises money and supports veterans causes in Central Oregon.

For about two decades, Tobiason has also been a one-man legislative juggernaut, persuading Oregon legislators to rename nine major border-to-border highways to honor military veterans and their families.

“Perhaps a ‘National Gold Star Families Memorial Highway’ honoring 2.4 million (estimated) family members of over 620,000 fallen veterans could be a unified goal of all Gold Star organizations,” Tobiason wrote to the groups. “Some of your organizations have units in all 11 states through which U.S. Highway 30 passes. It can be done, because I did it while 88 years old, to honor all of our nation’s 3,516 Medal of Honor recipients from all 50 states, and all future recipients.”

Leaders of some Gold Star groups say they’re ready to help.

“America’s Gold Star Families is honored to participate and support Mr. Tobiason’s efforts to rename Oregon (and national) highways to honor our fallen and their families,” said Patti Latch, executive director of America’s Gold Star Families. “In fact, as executive director of America’s Gold Star Families, I have in the past initiated legislation in central Illinois to rename a much smaller highway. It was truly an honor and very exciting to watch the signage be erected.

“It is always fitting to advocate awareness for our Gold Star Families, and what greater impact than to have millions of travelers be reminded that our freedom is not free?”

Gathering political support

Tobiason’s push comes about a week after Oregon lawmakers agreed to name the 477-mile U.S. Highway 30, stretching from the Oregon Coast to the Idaho border, the Oregon Gold Star Families Memorial Highway. Similar legislation failed in 2022. A new proposal, House Bill 2146, was again stalled this session after being adopted in early February by the state House, but delayed for nearly two months in the state Senate. It shook loose in early May, and earned Senate approval.

HB 2146A is on its way to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk for her signature.

Approval of the Oregon bill also comes on the heels of new federal legislation introduced May 9 by Oregon Democrat U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, and by Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, to make Highway 20, which stretches across nine states, from Newport to Boston, the National Medal of Honor Highway.

Again, Tobiason was the driving force behind the national Highway 20 proposal. Tobiason said he worked for nearly three years to find political support for the national legislation.

“The National Medal of Honor Highway across our great nation is a permanent tribute to America’s members of the Armed Forces who acted with conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, above and beyond the call of duty at the risk of their lives during combat,” Tobiason said of the national legislation.

The nation’s third longest coast-to-coast road, U.S. Highway 30 extends 3,073 miles to the East Coast. It was the only major highway in Oregon not designated to honor veterans.

Oregon’s section of the highway winds along the Columbia River from the Astoria-Megler Bridge through Portland, before heading east as part of Interstate 84. (I-84 has been designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.)

The bottom line, according to Tobiason, is that Highway 20’s Medal of Honor designation celebrates 3,516 recipients from all 50 states. A national Gold Star family designation for Highway 30 would honor 2.4 million families across the country, including 6,000 in Oregon.

‘A good time to end’

Tobiason said the national campaign to rename Highway 30 to honor Gold Star families is likely to be his last.

Besides proposing and supporting legislation, Tobiason’s group gathers donations to fund installation of signs designating the military honors on each of the Oregon highways. The process requires little financial support by the state, he said.

Because of the group’s efforts, there are 103 privately funded signs on 3,450 miles of eight Oregon border-to-border highways honoring veterans and their families. The national effort to rename Highway 20 would have about one sign showing the National Medal of Honor designation every 65 miles or so.

Tobiason said he was “feeling great” about honoring Gold Star families on the longest highway in Oregon, and about seeing federal legislation for Medal of Honor recipients “on the longest highway in USA.”

“It’s a good time to end 20 years of vets projects,” Tobiason said.