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SALEM -- A council committee is recommending the additional honorary name of Howard Tibbs Way for West Second Street from North Ellsworth to Jennings Avenue.
West Second Street will remain West Second Street, but Councilman Steve Faber said signs will designate that section of street as Howard Tibbs Way to honor the late Salem native who was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. "He was quite accomplished and served his country well," Faber said.
The Streets, Alleys and Sidewalks Committee of city council agreed Tuesday to forward the proposal to all of city council for consideration, with the source of funding for the three double-sided signs needed at the intersections and the style to be determined.
Tibbs' son, Philip, requested the honor last fall for his late father, an African-American who was born in Salem in 1919, was a member of the Salem High School Class of 1937, and went on to serve his country in the United States Army Air Forces as a member of the 99th Fighter Squadron and 477th Medium Composite Group during World War II. When he flew, he was a member of the B 25 Bomber Squadron, but was not a pilot. He attained the rank of Corporal.
According to Philip, his father was one of three men from Salem, along with George S. Catlin and Joseph Cooper, who were members of the Tuskegee Airmen and received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal posthumously in 2007.
Howard Tibbs was also an accomplished musician, playing the saxophone with some very famous musical talents, including Nat King Cole.
During the meeting, Faber said what they were recommending with the designation to honor him was similar to highway designations for fallen heroes. Signs along highways, such as U.S. Route 62 and state Route 344, recognize local service members killed in action.
Faber said the cost of three signs is $963 and he suggested taking the money out of the council contingency fund, since he's the first ward councilman and this would be in the first ward.
Councilwoman Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey questioned using the council contingency fund and also whether Philip had seen the design for the sign. She said she wanted to see if the Salem Historical Society or Salem Area Chamber of Commerce or other group would donate to the project, saying it's more of a memorial than a project to benefit the city as whole.
Faber said the son deserved an answer and some of this could have been figured out when the request was first made.
"We're trying to honor a medal of honor winner here," Councilman Ron Zellers said.
Both Zellers and Dickey serve on the committee with Faber.
Dickey said she's not opposed to doing the project, she's just concerned about who pays for it because others in the community have served. She also noted that there has been work done in the background on this, talking to businesses that would have been affected if the name of the street had been changed instead of doing this.
Councilman Andrew Null asked about whether the other two recipients of the medal were going to be honored. Faber said there were no plans at this time, that the request had not been made.
Philip Tibbs has requested that the U.S. Post Office in Salem be named for all three men.
mgreier@salemnews.net