American Legion members work to mark fatal wreck sites

They are numerous enough to notice, infrequent enough to be started when seen and they stimulate reverence, sorrow, sympathy, curiosity and caution.

They can be found within the borders of Montana, along state and federal highways, secondary and forest service roads and even city streets.  

One white marker is erected for each fatal traffic accident.

Mineral County has about 200 of them. For over 65 years, these white crosses have reminded passing motorists of the dangers of the road, as well as the lives that have been lost on our highways.

“The ‘White Cross’ came directly out of American Legion Post 27 and has eventually spread into a state-wide safety program. Due to the common use of ‘White Cross Program’ at one time the American Legion was sued because some people felt there was a conflict with state funding and religious implications. 

"We won the case because no state money or state sponsorship is used, and it was determined a cross is not necessarily a religious symbol,” said Jim Kelly from his home in Missoula. Kelly is the chairman of the American Legion Fatality Marker program for the entire state.

“However, we changed the name from ‘White Cross Program’ to ‘Fatality Marker Program’ to avoid any religious connotations from that issue. The overall plan is a Highway Safety Program, administered and funded totally by the American Legion, which is a private organization.”

The program is intended as a highway safety reminder, not a commemorative. Still, many families place wreaths or other decorations on the white crosses, which may be considered a memorial to a loved one lost in an accident, however, obstruction of the white marker with these decorations defeats the purpose of the safety program.  

Attaching them below the cross on the metal pole is acceptable. The white markers serve as a public service message, reminding drivers to "Please Drive Carefully.”  

They are a sobering reminder of a fatal traffic accident; a place where a human being lost his/her life. There are 319 in Mineral County and 133 in Sanders from 1953-2019.

American Legion Posts members are aging and like so many other organizations, volunteerism is fading.

Kelly, and his wife JoAnn, handle the installation and refurbishment of the Fatality Marker Program for Mineral County. Missoula and Ravalli Counties, too. Better add Granite, Lincoln and Lake and Flathead counties to his list.

Kelly is tracking over 3,300 fatality markers across the state which is equivalent to a 5-acre cemetery. This tracking includes the names of the accident victims, the date it happened and sometimes their birth date and family history. He is a Life Member of the Ray Welch American Legion Post #13 in St. Regis and to add another tidbit of information, Kelly is married to Ray Welch’s sister whom the post was named after.

Ray Welch was the first casualty in World War II from Mineral County as he was killed on Iwo Jima.

Kelly’s garage is his workshop for making and storing the fatality markers.

“I contact sponsors who donate used materials, like Poteet Construction for the posts.  Markers are assembled in my garage during the winter and installed in the spring. I travel throughout the state as needed, delivering materials to various Posts, enlisting Legion members to work areas outside of the areas I work. 

"As the State Chairman, it is my responsibility to promote the program and work with local law enforcement, towing companies and newspapers to get the information," Kelly said. "Occasionally I’ll receive notification from the highway patrol or local law enforcement, but I don’t think they know to contact me.”

Sometimes a loved one will call Kelly requesting one to be erected, and sometimes a family member will ask for one to be removed as the reminder of their loss is too painful. Kelly obliges both requests.

Markers are placed remarkably close to the fatality as Kelly uses his GPS for exactness. Markers are 54 inches from the ground to the top and 18 inches of the post are pounded into the ground. They are placed six feet behind a guardrail and if there isn’t a guardrail, they are 30 feet from the edge of the asphalt at a cost of $52 per marker.

Ten pages of strict guidelines continue to make the program as consistent and professional as possible.

Not all highway fatalities are marked. Not all the 134 Posts in Montana currently participate in the program. Some areas of Montana do not have a local American Legion Post.  

Because of these two reasons, many stretches of Montana highways do not have markers where a fatal accident has occurred. Also, when a highway is reconstructed and corrects what may have been the cause of the fatality, all markers are removed.

The American Legion, a non-profit, operates under a written agreement/permit for placement of the Fatality Markers along highways.

All donations to the Fatality Marker Program are used for materials and supplies, such as grinding wheels, rivets, bolts and paint. 

People who install and maintain the Fatality Markers provide their own equipment and transportation. They do not receive a stipend, mileage, fuel, or meals. This is a continuation of serving, as they did when they took their oath upon enlistment.