Who's the Dunn Bridge Named For?

The Private Parker F. Dunn Memorial Bridge crosses the Hudson River, connecting Rensselaer to Albany along Rt. 9/20. Google Maps shows the cool, spiral ramps on the Albany side. This bridge replaced the original Dunn Memorial Bridge in 1967.

The bridge memorializes Parker F. Dunn (1890-1918) of Albany, who was killed in the Argonne Forest in France in World War I, and awarded the Medal of Honor for "extraordinary heroism". From the military citation:

When his battalion commander found it necessary to send a message to a company in the attacking line and hesitated to order a runner to make the trip because of the extreme danger involved, Private First Class Dunn, a member of the intelligence section, volunteered for the mission.

He was killed by machine gun fire before making it across the field. He's cited in army publications as an example of "personal courage". The book Here Rests In Honored Glory has an extensive biography of Private Dunn.