GALLATIN, TN. (THECOUNT) — Signs designating a portion of State Route 386 as the Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway are being removed and relocated after Vietnam veterans objected to their placement along Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, according to Sumner County officials. The roadway has long been dedicated to honoring 25 Sumner County service members who died during the Vietnam War.
Gallatin is located in Sumner County northeast of Nashville. The controversy centers on State Route 386, commonly known as Vietnam Veterans Boulevard, a highway memorial dedicated to local service members who lost their lives during the Vietnam War.
The Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway signs were installed in June following action by the Tennessee General Assembly, which approved a memorial designation honoring the conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder.
According to Sumner County Commissioner Jeremy Mansfield, many local Vietnam veterans expressed anger and frustration after learning that the new memorial designation had been placed along a roadway already dedicated to fallen service members.
Mansfield said veterans were not consulted before the signs were installed and argued that the existing memorial should remain focused on those who served and died during the Vietnam War.
State Route 386 was previously designated as Vietnam Veterans Boulevard in honor of the 25 Sumner County residents who lost their lives during the conflict. Veterans objected to sharing that memorial space with another honorary roadway designation.
According to Mansfield, State Rep. Johnny Garrett selected the original location for the Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway signs. Following discussions with veterans and community members, Garrett agreed to relocate the signs.
The Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway designation will now be moved to Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville. Mansfield thanked veterans who voiced concerns, along with Garrett and city officials, for helping resolve the dispute.
In public remarks, Mansfield said the relocation would allow Kirk to be honored while preserving the original purpose of Vietnam Veterans Boulevard.
Kirk, who was killed in September 2025 while speaking at a university event in Utah, remained a prominent figure in conservative politics through his work with Turning Point USA and other political initiatives.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is expected to coordinate the relocation of the signs in accordance with the state’s memorial roadway designation process.
The relocation ends weeks of criticism from veterans who argued the roadway’s original dedication should remain exclusively focused on the men who died while serving their country during the Vietnam War.
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