A ceremony was held on Saturday to formally dedicate the pedestrian bridge at Doubletree Ranch Park in Highland Village the “PFC Aaron M. Hudson Memorial Bridge.”
Aaron Hudson, a Highland Village resident, was killed in action on April 16, 2005 while serving his country in Iraq. A citizen committee of current and former Highland Village residents formed the Friends of PFC Aaron M. Hudson group and requested the city name an amenity after Hudson.
The private gathering unveiled all the elements installed at the bridge to honor PFC Hudson. A stone monument with a memorial plaque was placed at both entrances of the bridge. Additionally along the bridge there are letters from Hudson to his family, markers with the awards and honors Hudson received, and a storyboard detailing Hudson’s life in Highland Village and service to our country. Across from the storyboard are two stone benches donated by the Highland Village Women’s Club.
The Hudson family, friends, and donors to the memorial attended the event.
City Council approved the naming at their meeting on October 22, 2019. The committee set up a GoFundMe account in October 2019 to raise funds for the memorial. The goal was to raise $10,000 to pay for elements throughout the length of the bridge; to date the committee has raised $10,359.52 which will pay for the memorial pieces and any surplus will be donated to the city to pay for maintenance of the
memorial bridge. The GoFundMe account will remain open through September 25.
“The PFC Aaron M. Hudson Memorial Bridge will be in Highland Village for people to see for many years to come. All who walk, run or bike on the bridge will be able to read about and honor one of Highland Village’s own,” stated Mayor Charlotte Wilcox. “Thank you Chuck Bahr, Dianne Costa, Deedee Ricketts, and Teresa Drown for having the idea and desire to make this memorial a reality.”
The PFC Aaron M. Hudson Memorial Bridge was funded and built by TxDOT in 2018 as part of the mitigation for the I-35E expansion project and the impacts it had on Highland Village. Through partnership with TxDOT and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, approval was given to name the bridge and place the memorial pieces.
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