Franklin County highway renamed in soldier's honor - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Franklin County highway renamed in soldier's honor

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SESSER, IL (KFVS) -

Family, friends and fellow soldiers gathered on Tuesday afternoon to honor a fallen soldier and to take part in a historic moment in Franklin County as a ten mile stretch of Illinois Route 148 was renamed for Army Specialist Travis Picantine.

Specialist Picantine joined the Army out of high school and ended up in Afghanistan Where he lost his life on November 10, 2009.

"He wanted to be somebody, and get out of here and make something of himself," said Tammie Severs, Travis' mother.

She worked for more than a year with State Senator Gary Forby and State Representative John Bradley to get the highway renamed to honor her son.

"It makes me want to cry when I see the sign here today. Because it took me so long to get to this day and to actually have it," said Severs.

The sign bearing the name of hometown hero means a lot to the people at the Illinois Department of Transportation who will be placing the signs along Illinois Route 148.

"It's an honor because these men and women fight everyday for our freedoms," said Jason Ashmore with IDOT. "And everything we can do to honor and support their families, is an honor that we can do this."

Now everyone driving along Illinois Route 148 between Sesser and Christopher will see the name of the man who gave his life for all of them.

"And I hope when people see Travis' sign that they remember not only Travis, but all of our fallen soldiers," Severs said.

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