Davanzo, Ward rename area road after fallen Vietnam veteran

A ceremony was held Wednesday to rename Waltz Mill Road as PFC Earl “Butch” Long Memorial Highway.

Friends and family came together Wednesday to honor the life of Vietnam veteran Earl “Butch” Long by witnessing the renaming of a state road in his honor.

State Rep. Eric Davanzo, R-Smithton, and Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Hempfield Township, met the Long family along the portion of state Route 3037, known as Waltz Mill Road, to formally name it PFC Earl “Butch” Long Memorial Highway.

“Like any service member who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting tyranny and defending the ideals of our great country, we can never pay back the Long family for the pain of loss they experienced,” Davanzo said. “But I hope these signs are a reminder of Butch’s selfless service as well as be a public reminder of the many local heroes that made a similar sacrifice.”

Born in Ruffsdale in 1947, Long enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and served as an 11 B infantryman in B Troop, First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. On Aug. 15, 1967, Long was a passenger in an armored personnel carrier on a combat operation when the vehicle hit a hostile mine.

Long died that day in Phuoc Long South Vietnam, at the age of 20.

Long was laid to rest at Westmoreland County Memorial Park in Greensburg.

During Wednesday’s ceremony, Jerry Smith, who served alongside Long, said that they were great friends, and when Smith was drafted for the war, Long decided to join as well.

“I always wanted to try to get something like this done, but I didn’t know how to get it started,” Smith said. “But everyone knows, Butch and I went into the Army together, and it means a lot to me and everyone for what they’ve (Ward and Davanzo) done.” Smith said that Long’s name is on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., as well as memorials in Twin Lake and Mt. Pleasant.

“He didn’t have to enter the service because he had a deferment, but his love of our country and his patriotism drove him to join the Army, where he was highly respected by all of his peers and his fellow soldiers,” Ward said. “His bravery and service did not go unnoticed. He was awarded several medals, including the Bronze Star and the

Purple Heart.

“The Memorial Highway here in Sewickley Township ensures that Butch’s legacy will be etched into the landscape of the community that he called home and that he loved.”

John Long said that his brother’s recognition was long coming and deserved.

“He was my youngest brother. I’m the oldest of four,” John Long said. “But, like I said, he was a good boy, and he died as a boy, too, 20 years old.”

John Long said that Davanzo did all the work for the family and that he didn’t find out about the road name until a couple of weeks ago.

Legislation proposing the official name change was authored by Davanzo, championed by Ward and eventually included in Act 17 of 2025, which was signed into law in June.

“Whenever we started this process, I reached out to Sen. Ward and told her a little bit of the history and what we wanted to do,” Davanzo said. “She was absolutely on board with it.”

Ward highlighted how Long’s family can now drive on the road and see his name every time.

“Now everyone in the community, even those who didn’t know him, will know that he was something special,” Ward said. “When they see that plaque, they will know he was a hero and he was something special. I love that so much. Eric, thank you so much for bringing this bill to the floor and getting it passed and signed by the governor. To celebrate the life and sacrifice of PFC Long is an honor for all of us.”