The Montana Highway Fatality Marker Program has a long and poignant history. Started in 1953 by Floyd Eaheart, a member of Hellgate Post #27 in Missoula, the program began after six lives were lost over the 1952 Labor Day weekend in that area. What started as a local initiative to promote road safety through white crosses marking fatal accident sites quickly gained traction statewide. The Montana Highway Commission (now the Montana Department of Transportation, or MDOT) officially approved the program, with Governor J. Hugo Aronson lending his support.

Today, these simple white markers, placed along the state's highways, serve as solemn reminders of the lives lost and the importance of road safety. The program has grown to include over 2,500 markers statewide, with members of the American Legion and its affiliated groups maintaining them. Though modest in design, each cross holds deep meaning, encouraging drivers to be more mindful and cautious.

In 2007, the program gained further visibility when MDOT installed large signs at Montana’s highway entrances, recognizing the American Legion’s role in maintaining the fatality markers. That same year, the markers were added to the state’s official highway map, cementing their place in Montana’s legacy of promoting road safety.

The Montana Highway Fatality Marker Program is unique in that it operates without government funding—relying entirely on volunteers from the American Legion Family and the generosity of community donations. Veterans and local supporters salvage materials, craft the markers, and maintain them year-round to ensure the program continues to honor those lost and remind all who travel Montana’s highways to drive safely.

If you’d like to support this meaningful effort, donations can be made online by clicking here

For more information, contact our Program Director or read about the program's volunteer efforts and history here.