About a three-mile stretch of Highway 93 between Ronan and Polson was officially designated as the “Laverne Parrish Memorial Highway” last week. 

For three years the Ronan community and local legislators have been attempting to memorialize Parrish’s heroics in World War II, and last week a dedication ceremony was held in Ronan.  

Parrish enlisted at Fort Missoula in 1941 after graduating from Ronan High School in 1937. He served as a U.S. Army medic at the Pacific Theater. After carrying at least seven comrades to safety on the island of Luzon in the Philippines and treating dozens more while under heavy fire, Parrish was mortally wounded.  

Parrish was 26 years-old at the time of his death and buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Ronan. Parrish’s family was presented with an Army Medal of Honor by U.S. President Harry Truman in 1945.  

“We started this process to get the memorial dedication about four years ago, so it was finally good to see culmination of everybody's effort and get the highway dedication,” Gale Decker, Lake County Commissioner said.  

The Montana Department of Transportation installed a kiosk at the scenic turnout south of Ronan, which explains Parrish’s WWII service and sacrifice. MTDOT included two signs between Ronan and Pablo to mark the section of highway dedicated in Parrish’s memory.  

The dedication in Ronan was attended by 18 members of Parrish’s family along with Senator Greg Hertz, former legislator Dan Salomon, Ronan Mayor Chris Adler, and Pat Meagher and Gale Decker representing the Ronan Hall of Fame. 

Ronan High School declared Parrish a member of the Ronan Hall of Fame in 2021. Meagher along with other members of the Ronan 1975 Football State Championship team completed a monument installation and rededication of the Ronan football stadium in honor of Parrish last fall.  

Senate Bill 392, which was carried by Hertz in the last legislative session granted the highway dedication, was passed by the Montana House and Senate without a dissenting vote.