SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Earlier this week, NewsChannel 5 was told signs honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk were being removed from a Sumner County highway after Vietnam veterans objected to their placement. But now that move is on hold.
The Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway signs were installed back in June along State Route 386, which is also designated as Vietnam Veterans Boulevard. The road honors 25 Sumner County service members who died in the Vietnam War.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed in September 2025 while speaking at a university event in Utah. He has no direct ties to Middle Tennessee.
Sumner County Commissioner Jeremy Mansfield said many local Vietnam veterans were angry and frustrated that another memorial designation had been placed along a road dedicated to their fellow service members.
Mansfield also said the veterans were not consulted before the signs were installed.
According to Mansfield, state Rep. Johnny Garrett selected the location. Earlier this week, Mansfeld told us the decision had been reversed, and the Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway designation will be moved to Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville. But it turns out TDOT doesn't have the authority to move them.
A spokesperson released the following statement:
The Tennessee General Assembly approves memorial designation of roadways, while the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is responsible for fabricating and installing the signage. Regarding the placement or removal of the signage, TDOT will follow the direction provided by the General Assembly, which we have not yet received.
The state legislature is not currently in session, so state lawmakers can't vote to relocate the signs until at least January, when they return to Capitol Hill.
