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Signs honoring Charlie Kirk will be removed from Vietnam Veterans Boulevard in Tennessee following backlash.
The Turning Point USA co-founder was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University last September. Signs honoring him were installed along State Route 386 in June after the roadway near Goodlettsville was designated as "Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway."
Sumner County Commissioner Jeremy Mansfield announced the removal on social media. "State Route 386 has always been Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, dedicated to the 25 Sumner County service members who gave their lives in Vietnam," he wrote.
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"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."
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Mansfield continued: "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."
Mansfield said the sign is being moved to Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville. The sign caused frustration from local Vietnam veterans, including Barry Rice, a Sumner County Vietnam veteran who serves as president of Tennessee's Vietnam Veterans Council.
"It’s just aggravating. It’s almost, ‘once again, here we go again.’ You know, it happened when we came home. We were disloved (sic), we were disliked," said Rice. He stressed that the years of work Sumner County veterans put in to have Highway 386 named in their honor.
That recognition expanded nearly a decade ago when the signs were put up along the highway in memory of fallen soldiers. However, many well-known Sumner County voices, such as activist Riley Gaines, shared their support for the sign on social media.
Gaines, who knew Kirk personally, called it a "beautiful tribute" that drivers will see daily. The Charlie Kirk sign was approved in the state general assembly in May.
Mayor Rusty Tinnin led the effort to have the signs installed on Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, with help from state representatives such as Johnny Garrett. Sumner County Mayor John Isbell told News 2 he was unaware of the signs until he saw them posted on social media.
"The Tennessee General Assembly approves memorial designation of roadways, while the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is responsible for fabricating and installing the signage," TDOT said in a statement regarding the removal. "Regarding the placement or removal of the signage, TDOT will follow the direction provided by the General Assembly, which we have not yet received."
