U.S. 50 east of Dodge City named in honor of two local heroes

The Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas state Sen. John Doll and the Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ceremony on Saturday, April 21, to designating a six-mile section of U.S. 50 east of Dodge City as the Sgt. Gregg Steimel and Pfc. Richard Conrardy Memorial Highway.

Sen. Doll introduced legislation earlier this session requesting that this section of U.S. 50 be renamed in honor of the Wright natives, who were both killed in combat in July 1970 in Vietnam. For his service and heroic actions, Sgt. Steimel was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Private Conrardy was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart and a National Defense Service Medal.

Family and friends of Steimel and Conrardy were joined by local and state legislators, the Dodge City Area Chamber of Commerce and local KDOT staff for the ceremony, which took place at the Dodge City KDOT shop.