On Thursday, officials gathered to bestow that honor to Cpl. James D. Sloan, who struggled with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and took his own life after serving in the Vietnam War.

The bridge carrying state Route 53 over Bear Rock Run in Lilly Borough was dedicated as “Corporal James D. Sloan Memorial Bridge” during a ceremony at the American Legion Post 238 along Ashcroft Ave., Cresson.

The dedication was the result of state Rep. Jim Rigby, R-Cambria/Somerset, introducing House Bill 182. That legislation was amended into Senate Bill 78 and was signed into law as Act 17 of 2025 by Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Of the 332 state-owned bridges in Cambria County, Greenland said only 65 are legislatively named. Across the commonwealth, there are 25,445 state-owned bridges, but only 564 of them are legislatively named.

Judy Sloan Williams (from left), Patrick Sloan, Robert Sloan and Florence Sloan Eberhart unveil the sign dedicating the Cpl. James D. Sloan Memorial Bridge Thursday during a ceremony at the American Legion Post 238 in Cresson. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

The numbers prove that the “remarkable honor” is only bestowed on a select few, Greenland said.

State Sen. Wayne Langerholc, R-Cambria, said bridge dedication ceremonies honor the sacrifice of so many people who heeded the call of a nation. Sloan answered that call at a time in history when perhaps enlisting in the military wasn’t a popular decision to make, Langerholc said.

The dedicated bridges also serve as a “lasting legacy and reminder” for future generations to know the kind of people who served the country, Langerholc said.

Sloan was a Penn Cambria alumnus who enlisted in the United States Marines after high school. On Dec. 28, 1967, he was promoted to the rank of corporal.

Upon his return home from Vietnam, Sloan “suffered greatly” from the “invisible wounds of war,” his family said. Sloan had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which led to his untimely passing March 12, 1971, in Lilly.

Sloan was awarded the National Defense Service, Vietnam Campaign, Vietnam Service and Combat Action medals for his service. He was also awarded the Navy Commendation Medal “V” Device, the Purple Heart medal and the Rifle Marksmen Badge.

Robert Sloan, James’ nephew, said the bridge is not only a tribute to his uncle’s military service — it’s a reminder of the sacrifices that veterans make.

“My Uncle Jimmy was a proud Marine and like many veterans, he carried wounds that weren’t visible. PTSD is a very heavy burden and too many of our heroes face it in silence,” he said.

Patrick Sloan, James’ brother, said there were about a dozen kids in his family. Admittedly, he didn’t know his brothers and sisters well and many of them moved out of the house by the time Patrick joined the Marines, he said.

But his brother James was “a bull of a man” who exercised every day, Patrick Sloan said.

“He was the type of person that would do anything for anybody,” his brother said.

In addition to exercising, Sloan loved the outdoors, said Pattie Sanders Moncman, a childhood friend of Sloan’s sister, Flo.

Flo and Sanders Moncman were together in the summer and on weekends “literally 24 hours a day,” she said, noting Sloan was like a big brother who watched over her.

“If Jimmy was listening to us today, I would say to him, ‘Jimmy, you are not forgotten. You are still very, very much missed and you are still very, very loved.’ And so, until we can all be together and meet again, rest peacefully, marine,” Sanders Moncman said.

Above all, Sloan was a son, a brother, a cousin and a soldier who loved his community, his family said.

“Naming this bridge after him ensures that his story and the story of so many others like him will never be forgotten,” Robert Sloan said.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.