WHEREAS, the people and the government of the State of Delaware are bound by a debt of eternal gratitude to each of the residents of the State of Delaware who has made the supreme sacrifice of laying down his life in defense of the United States in World War II and in the Korean Campaign; and
WHEREAS, the presently existing facilities of the Delaware Memorial Bridge are inadequate to honor, in a befitting and appropriate manner, each of the heroes of the State of Delaware who died in World War II and in the Korean Campaign ; and
WHEREAS, the Delaware Memorial Bridge has been erected and dedicated to the memory of the residents of the State of New Jersey, as well as the residents of the State of Delaware, who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces of the United States in defense of the United States; and
WHEREAS, the persons who lost their lives in the construction of the Delaware Memorial Bridge died to honor heroes
of the State of Delaware and of the State of New Jersey and to advance the Welfare of humanity; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting that a suitable memorial be erected to honor the aforesaid departed heroes and to inspire all men now living, as well as posterity, to preserve, protect and to defend forever the sacred institutions for which these departed heroes gave their last full measure of devotion; NOW THEREFORE,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:
Section 1. The State Highway Department is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to erect a fitting and suitable memorial, to be installed and forever preserved and maintained, for memorial purposes only, adjacent to the Delaware Memorial Bridge, in New Castle County, in commemoration of the supreme sacrifice of all the residents of the State of Delaware and of the State of New Jersey who died while serving in the armed forces of the United States during World War II and during the Korean Campaign and in honor of all the persons who lost their lives in the construction of the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
Section 2. The memorial shall contain plaques, or slabs of marble, bronze or other suitable material which shall be inscribed as follows:
A. One plaque or slab shall contain the names of all the residents of the State of Delaware who died while serving in the armed forces of the United States during World War II;
B. One plaque or slab shall contain the names of all the residents of the State of Delaware who died while serving in the armed forces of the United States during the Korean Campaign;
C. One plaque or slab shall contain the names of all the persons who lost their lives in the construction of the Delaware Memorial Bridge;
D. One plaque or slab shall pay tribute, in an appropriate manner, to all the residents of New Jersey who died while serving in the armed forces of the United States during World War II;
E. One plaque or slab shall pay tribute, in an appropriate manner, to all the residents of the State of. New Jersey who died while serving in the armed forces of the United States during the Korean Campaign.
Section 3. The State Highway Department and the Trustee or Trustees created and existing under trust indentures to secure revenue bonds of the Delaware Memorial Bridge are hereby authorized to execute trust indentures, or supplements to existing trust indentures, to create for this purpose a fund, not in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100;000.00), and hereinafter called THE WAR MEMORIAL FUND.
The State Highway Department and said Trustee or Trustees are further authorized and empowered to transfer and to allocate, by means of trust indenture, to said WAR MEMORIAL FUND, monies not in excess of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) from any other funds o_r accounts which the State Highway Department and/or said Trustee or Trustees now maintain for construction, maintenance or operation of the Delaware Memorial Bridge and/or from tolls, rents, charges or revenues derived, or which shall be derived, from operation of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. No monies from this WAR MEMORIAL FUND shall be spent, transferred or allocated for any other purpose until the construction and installation of said memorial is completed.
Section 4. The State Highway Department is hereby authorized and directed to defray all costs and expenses for this purpose out of the said WAR MEMORIAL FUND, including any costs or expenses for architectural plans or designs, which have heretofore been incurred for this purpose and which costs and expenses remain unpaid, and for which monies have not been heretofore appropriated. In the event that procedures set forth herein providing monies for said WAR MEMORIAL FUND shall be declared unconstitutional by a competent court, then, and in that event this act shall be void.
Section 5. All acts or parts of acts inconsistent with any of the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.