Dedication ceremonies are held in Tulsa renaming the stretch of highway in front of the Tulsa International Airport. The section of Highway 11, from I-244 to Highway 75, is now named after Tulsa’s only 'Medal of Honor' winner.
PFC Albert Schwab was given the award posthumously by President Truman in 1945. Just as World War II was ending in Europe, American troops were in a fierce battle in the Pacific for the Japanese island of Okinawa. Schwab was among those who stormed ashore. He was a flame thrower and, despite being wounded, took out two Japanese sniper nests. He died of his injuries.
The roadway name change came about as an amendment to a bill in the last legislative session. It was sponsored by Tulsa Democrat Eric Proctor. Proctor says we name things after “rock stars and country music singers, but we should not forget our true heroes.”