Staff Sergeant Arthur J Rambo Memorial Bridge Dedication
Riverfront Park
by Maggie Craig
May 29, 2025
The Staff Sergeant Arthur J Rambo Memorial Bridge dedication was held Sunday, May 25, at Riverfront Park, honoring Libby's Vietnam War veteran who was lost in action in 1969. An incredible effort by Rambo's family and friends brought together many who knew, or knew of, Rambo and his story and sacrifice.
Arthur Rambo graduated from Libby High School in 1963. He earned a degree in math from Carrol College in 1967, and then a chemical engineering degree from Notre Dame in 1968.
He was drafted in September of 1968 and shipped out to Vietnam in August of 1969. Three months later, on Thanksgiving day, 1969, his 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (also known as the Blackhorse Regiment) came under attack at night. Rambo and three others were killed in the firefight for which Rambo was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart and the Vietnamese Presidential Citation for his actions during the attack. He left behind a wife and two young daughters.
Last fall, Veterans of Foreign Wars Harper Erdman Post 1548 in Libby asked for community support for naming the Kootenai River bridge to honor Rambo. It started with a conversation between Rambo's high school friend Mark Fennessy and Keith Kidwell, Senior Vice Commander of the VFW Post. Between the two, they came up with the idea of naming the bridge. The VFW spearheaded the effort, and presented the idea to Mike Cuffe, State Senator from Eureka. Senator Cuffe said if the local community showed enough interest in the project, he would present the request.
What followed was some 300 local community members writing letters of support. Over 600 names from the Blackhorse Regiment were on a petition in support of naming the bridge in Rambo's honor. Senator Cuffe then sponsored Senate Bill 59 in the legislature, and the bill moved quickly and was signed into law by Governor Gianforte on January 16, 2025. The bill establishes the Staff Sergeant Arthur J Rambo Memorial Bridge, directing the Department of Transportation to install signs on the bridge and a memorial plaque in Riverfront Park.
Close high school friend Tony Smith officiated the dedication, flanked by the VFW Color Guard. Starting off the ceremony was a beautiful rendition of "America the Beautiful" sung by Olivia Hewston.
Mark Fennessy spoke of how this project came about; his meeting with Keith Kidwell and how the VFW spearheaded the process.
Veterans or their widows from Rambo's Blackhorse Regiment came from around the country to attend. Also noted was the Regiment providing over 600 names on the petition in support of naming the bridge in Rambo's honor.
State Representative Neil Duram spoke of the bridge bill's passage through the legislature and State Senator Susan Webber from Browning, a Blackfeet Nation member, spoke of the bridge as "...bringing Art home." The bill was the first passed and signed this year.
Patty Rambo, Arthur's younger sister, spoke of him and read the poem, "Who Art in Heaven," written by high school friend Marc Racicot after Rambo's death. Eli Miller, Senior Vice Commander of the VFW Post 1548, read the names of other Libby residents who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.
Following the ceremony in the Fred Brown Pavilion, the crowd moved toward the plaque with the Kootenai River bridge in the background, naming the bridge for Staff Sergeant Arthur J Rambo, in honor of his memory, service and sacrifice. Former governor Racicot and another high school friend, Marv Sather, had the honor of unveiling the plaque.
Keeping his memory alive and hoping to instill recognition of what Memorial Day symbolizes, Rambo's parents, Howard and Viola Rambo, instituted Arthur J. Rambo scholarships for Libby High School students in 1970, and they continue to this day. This year's recipients are Morgan Hayes and Shaun Duran.
Related Link: memorial.blackhorse.org/rambo-arthur-john
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