Lincoln County commission backs renaming Lenox bridge for Capt. Veil Gwen Meyer

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted Feb. 25 to pass a resolution supporting the renaming of the Highway 44 bridge over Long Creek in the city of Lenox as the Captain Veil Gwen Meyer Bridge.

The action formally endorses a request that originated with a school project by Paul McVeigh, a teacher in the Lennox School District, and a separate Lenox City Council resolution. The county’s resolution will be submitted to the state bridge‑naming committee, which reviews nominations received by the April 1 deadline.

The board’s resolution describes Meyer’s military service: he served as a UH‑1C gunship pilot and was killed in action on Aug. 22, 1968. The resolution notes he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and that his name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. The text before the vote said the commission’s endorsement would make this the first bridge in Lincoln County named for a fallen service member.

“This will be the first bridge in Lincoln County named after a fallen hero,” said Joel (staff member), who introduced the item and summarized the nomination and state process.

Commissioner Schmidt, who said he knew Meyer in high school, seconded the resolution and added personal remarks about Meyer’s character and service.

The board approved the resolution on a roll call vote with all five commissioners voting yes. The chair said the county’s signed resolution will be forwarded to the state for final consideration; no state decision was announced at the meeting.

Background: the county clerk explained applications for bridge naming are due April 1 each year and are reviewed by a state committee that evaluates whether nominees meet the program’s criteria for recognition.

No public comment was recorded on the item at the time of the vote.