The Idaho Transportation Department is hanging eight new signs to honor the service of Vietnam veterans.
"I think it's very important for everybody to remember that freedom is not free, and it takes a very important sacrifice to secure what we have," ITD C.O.O. Travis McGrath said.
The four original signs were placed in 2014 after legislation passed in the Statehouse officially named I-84 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway, but those signs were considered by some to be too small to represent the great service of veterans.
"My friend in Mountain Home couldn't see the signs forever, and, so, by reaching out again to the senators that passed the legislation, they saw to it that we got larger, more visible signs," Capt. Henry Parker, commander of the Idaho Department of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, said.
Though many Vietnam veterans received criticism upon returning from the war, Parker said he felt welcome coming back to the Gem State.
"It was nice that I was able to come back to Idaho, because Idaho has always been so supportive of the veterans, particularly, the Vietnam veterans," he said. "This is a classic example of a state that appreciates their veterans."
Thanks to the new signs, that appreciation is easier to spot as you travel through Idaho.
"It's a beautiful sign, and you're not gonna miss it," Parker said.
The signs are visible now along I-84, stretching from the Oregon to Utah borders.
