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Memorial signs honoring Charlie Kirk are being removed from a Tennessee highway following backlash from local military veterans.
The Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway signs were installed along a stretch of State Route 386 in Sumner County, which is officially named Vietnam Veterans Boulevard.
However, local veterans and community members strongly objected to sharing the designated memorial space, pointing out that the strip is specifically dedicated to honoring the 25 service members from Sumner County who were killed in action during the Vietnam War. This comes after a Charlie Kirk statue was unveiled in Times Square with a plan to make it 'bulletproof'.
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Sumner County Commissioner Jeremy Mansfield said veterans expressed frustration that they were not consulted before the installation and argued that the honorary signage mistakenly gave the impression that the entire highway had been renamed. According to Mansfield, state Rep. Johnny Garrett had selected the location of the Charlie Kirk signs, but the decision has now been reversed amid backlash. It comes just days after it was announced that a statue of Kirk will be displayed in New York City at the exact time of his death.
The Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway designation will now be moved to Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville. Mansfield thanked the veterans who spoke out and Garrett for helping relocate the signs.
He said the new location means Kirk will be honored "without taking anything away from those we already promised to remember." Mansfield said in a statement on social media on July 20, "The signs that went up on State Route 386 are being relocated. State Route 386 has always been Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, dedicated to the 25 Sumner County service members who gave their lives in Vietnam.
"Many of our Vietnam veterans were angry and frustrated to see this designation placed on ground set aside to honor their brothers in arms. The decision to put the designation on Vietnam Veterans Boulevard by State Representative Johnny Garrett, who chose the location, has now been reversed, and the signs will be relocated.
"To every Vietnam veteran who spoke up, thank you. Thank you for your service and for your sacrifice. Your opinion on this mattered, and I was surprised to learn they were never consulted before the first sign went up.
"The Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway designation is now being moved to Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville. I thank the City of Goodlettsville and Representative Garrett for the corrective step, and I am excited to see it find a home there, a place that honors Charlie Kirk without taking anything away from those we already promised to remember."
The Tennessee Department of Transportation said in a statement, "The Tennessee General Assembly approves memorial designation of roadways, while the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is responsible for fabricating and installing the signage. Regarding the placement or removal of the signage, TDOT will follow the direction provided by the General Assembly, which we have not yet received."
Last week, Italian-born artist Sergio Furnari revealed that a statue of Kirk will be displayed in Times Square on September 10 at 2.23pm, one year to the minute when the Turning Point USA co-founder was fatally shot. Furnari, who was born in Sicily and moved to New York City 35 years ago, chose Times Square to unveil the piece because it is the city's heart.
"You know, I’m a New Yorker, so Times Square is like La Piazza," he told the New York Post. "Everything happens in the city, in the center of the town." In an Instagram post, the artist urged people to bring their family and friends to see the piece. "If you were a big fan of Charlie, this will be your opportunity to maybe find a little bit of peace or harmony," he said.
