Cities will rename bridge Tuesday

By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

On Tuesday – during this year’s annual Veterans’ Day ceremonies — the cities of Biddeford and Saco will pause for a brief ceremony to dedicate and rename the York Hill Bridge in honor of General Wallace Nutting.

The York Hill bridge connects Biddeford and Saco and sits at the bottom of hills on each side, from the entrance of the Riverdam mill complex in Biddeford to the Run of the Mill restaurant in Saco.

Nutting – a native of Saco and a former mayor of Biddeford – lived an exemplary life and had a remarkable career in service to his nation.

Nutting, 95, died on August 17, 2023.

The idea of renaming the bridge came from a recommendation by the Biddeford City Council’s Veterans Committee in 2024. Because the bridge is maintained and owned by the state, the idea needed the approval of the Maine legislature.

In February, State Rep. Marc Malon of Biddeford introduced a legislative bill to rename the bridge in Nutting’s honor.

“When I think about the future of Biddeford and Saco, naming this bridge after General Nutting, a leader who bridged our communities himself, is a great symbolic step forward,” Malon said during an interview earlier this year.

Malon’s bill was supported by every member of the Biddeford-Saco delegation and supported by both the Biddeford City Council and Saco City Council.

At the height of his career, Nutting was Commander-in-Chief, United States Southern Command. He was the one who executed the plan to extract Manuel Noreiga from Panama in 1990.

While working at the Pentagon, Nutting was also a senior advisor to President Ronald Reagan.

In 2003, Nutting easily won a three-way to become Biddeford’s mayor. Two years later, he was unopposed for a second term.

During an interview with this reporter, I described Nutting as “the walking, talking definition of being a local bad ass.”  But I also opined that he was one of the most “humble and sincere people I have ever met: a man who led by persuasion — a man always in search of the potential good in others.”

Nutting loved both Biddeford and Saco equally. He served on Thornton Academy’s Board of Trustees but also recalled his childhood playing with model airplanes on the runway at the Biddeford Airport.

Nutting saw tremendous potential in Biddeford’s downtown while so many others were cynical about the location of a trash-to-energy-incinerator on Pearl Street.

Nutting was nothing short of daunting. He was tall, well-built and leaned into his words with a gravelly voice and a demeanor that reeked of honor and respect.

The four-star general had a
reputation for being blunt
but was also a
solutions-focused leader.

But he was also a bit mischievous and his blue eyes would often twinkle while his mouth formed a sly grin.

His remarkable career began at West Point. Soon thereafter, he saw combat in the Korean War and received the Silver Star and the Soldier’s Medal. The latter was for rescuing a wounded Korean woman from a minefield. He also received two Purple Hearts for his service in Korea.

During the Vietnam War, Nutting commanded the 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry, 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam.

He and his wife Jane were active members of the First Parish Congregational Church. He was an Associate Fellow at the Center for International Affairs at Harvard University.

The four-star general had a reputation for being blunt but was also a solutions-focused leader.

Nutting didn’t like the invisible division between the cities of Biddeford and Saco. He pushed for regional planning, for shared resources and ideas. To him, the two cities were one community, much stronger when they worked together.

______________

Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com

c.) 2025 All Rights Reserved

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