Mike O’Connor (center) stands with fellow veterans beneath the newly installed POW/MIA Bridge sign following a dedication ceremony Friday, Feb. 20, in Marysville. The 10th Street Bridge connecting Marysville and Yuba City was officially renamed in honor of prisoners of war and service members missing in action.

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Dignitaries from Marysville and Yuba City gathered Feb. 20 to rename and dedicate the 10th Street Bridge in honor of prisoners of war and service members missing in action.

The bridge, which links the Yuba and Sutter county seats, now carries the official designation of POW/MIA Bridge.

“It’s hard for those who were never in combat to comprehend what terms like sacrifice, duty, honor, country and courage mean,” said Mike O’Connor during a ceremony at the Yuba City Council chambers. “To those who were in combat, it is an unforgettable tragedy and honor.”

Mike O’Connor (right) signs a commemorative plaque as Assemblyman James Gallagher looks on Friday, Feb. 20, in Marysville. The plaque will later be installed behind the new POW/MIA Bridge sign following the bridge’s official dedication. 

O’Connor, an Army veteran and former prisoner of war, spoke about his five years in captivity and the impact on families at home.

“Since the Revolutionary War, approximately 1.3 million American soldiers have died, more than 500,000 have been taken as POWs, with as many as 30,000 who died during their captivity,” O’Connor said. “It is this sacrifice of these soldiers and their families that we honor here today. These are far more than signs. They are monuments.”

Veterans of Foreign Wars in Marysville began efforts to dedicate the bridge in 2004. Assemblyman James Gallagher also helped advance the project.

Mike O’Connor prepares to unveil the new POW/MIA Bridge sign Friday, Feb. 20, in Marysville. 

“You can’t drive anywhere in my district, the 3rd District in the Sacramento Valley, and not see the recognitions of our veterans,” Gallagher said. “The work that the men and women of our military have done is what’s hard. It’s what’s honorable and what makes all of this possible. What makes all the things that we love of this community possible is because we have men and women who defended it.”

After the ceremony in Yuba City, attendees crossed the bridge to the Yuba County Office of Education parking lot in Marysville. Select veterans, including O’Connor, signed a commemorative plaque that will be installed behind the new bridge sign.

O’Connor later unveiled the sign near the Marysville entrance to the bridge alongside fellow veterans.

Assemblyman James Gallagher speaks during a POW/MIA Bridge dedication ceremony Friday, Feb. 20, at the Yuba City Council chambers.