Local Highway To Be Renamed In Honor Of Morris Township Veteran

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — State lawmakers want to rename a section of Interstate Highway Route 287, which runs through Morris Township, to honor United States Army Veteran Warren E. Wilhide Sr.

Sen. Anthony M. Bucco's legislation designating a section of Interstate Highway Route 287 as the Warren E. Wilhide Interchange was approved by the New Jersey Senate last month.

Wilhide served honorably in the Korean War and was an active volunteer, donating his time to a relief organization in Haiti, a children's hospital in Morocco, and Tanzanian students studying math and science, officials said.

Wilhide's name will be added to a section of the interstate as part of Sen. Bucco's bill, S-3005, to honor his leadership, compassion, and contributions to the community.

Bucco stated that Wilhide was instrumental in designating Interstate 287 as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway in 1995, and additional designations along the interstate for fellow service members were added in 1998.

"As a long-time resident of Morris Township, Mr. Wilhide was well-known for his dedication to serving others," Bucco said. "As a token of our gratitude for his service to our country and community, this bill formally commemorates Mr. Wilhide’s legacy by designating a portion of Route 287 in his honor."

After his tour of duty in Korea, Wilhide came back to the United States to work in an anti-aircraft battery defending the White House and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Wilhide later enrolled in Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering after being honorably discharged from the United States Army, and graduated in 1958, receiving his diploma from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, officials said.

“This bill pays respect to the efforts made by Mr. Wilhide to make our country and our state a better and safer place,” Bucco added. “We can help preserve his memory by renaming the portion of Interstate Highway Route 287 that runs through Morris Township in his honor.”

Wilhide died on Nov. 19, 2020, at the age of 88.