Two five mile stretches on Old Highway 99 in Colusa County were dedicated on Friday to two servicemen in the U.S. Army who were killed while fighting in the Afghanistan War.
The Colusa County Board of Supervisors renamed two sections of roadway the Fallen Hero Memorial Highway, at a ceremony held at LaVanche Hursh Park, in Arbuckle.
The stretch of roadway, from one mile north of County Line Road to Arbuckle, was dedicated to Pfc. Justin Casillas, 19, of Dunnigan. The section of the Fallen Hero Memorial Highway, located 100 yards north of the Hahn Road and the Highway 99 intersection to the Williams city limits, was dedicated to PFC Rueben “Boy” Lopez, 27, of Williams.
Each section of highway is memorialized with brown signs with white lettering so motorists and passersby will see their names and remember their sacrifice.
“This is a great tribute to two fine heroes, and they will always be a hero,” said Supervisor Merced Corona, who spearheaded the road project.
Casillas was a paratrooper assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) of the 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
He had been deployed just four months when he died on July 4, 2009 while trying to carry a wounded soldier to safety after a surprise attack on his Combat Outpost Zerok, in which insurgents used small arms and indirect fire. The attack also killed Pfc. Aaron E. Fairbairn, of Aberdeen, Wash., and injured seven other U.S. soldiers.
Casillas, who graduated from Pierce High School, was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star for bravery.
George Green, of Arbuckle, who gave the invocation at Friday’s ceremony, said the dedication of the highway to the fallen soldiers commemorates the sacrifice they made for a grateful nation.
“We honor their commitment to God, country, family, and community,” Green said.
Lopez, 27, was Colusa County’s second casualty of the Afghanistan War.
Lopez was killed on Aug. 11, 2011, in the Kandahar Province in Southern Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his transportation vehicle.
Lopez, who graduated from Williams High School, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, out of Fort Drum, N.Y. The attack that killed Lopez killed four other U.S. soldiers.
“By just keeping their names alive, they will be remembered forever,” Corona said. “That, to me, means a lot, and hopefully it will be to the families, as well. Long after we are gone, hopefully someone will be researching their names and their memory will still be alive, forever.”
Retired Colusa County Superior Court Judge John H. Tiernan, a Vietnam veteran, said only 1 percent of the entire U.S. population are serving in the military or are veterans.
He choked back tears as he spoke of Casillas’ and Lopez’ sacrifice.
“These two sons of Colusa County gave their lives serving this great nation,” Tiernan said. “They joined knowing their country was at war; knowing there was a strong chance they would be deployed to a combat zone. Despite this knowledge, they volunteered to go.”
Tiernan said the roadway signs stand as a tribute and reminder of the sacrifice Casillas and Lopez gave for their nation.
“These signs should also remind each of us of the loss to their families,” Tiernan said. “Remember, they, too, sacrificed. We dedicate these two signs so generations to come will remember Justin and Boy as the heroes that they are.”
Following the ceremony, Casillas’ family unveiled the sign that renames the stretch of Old Highway 99 near Arbuckle. Lopez’ family unveiled the sign that renames the stretch of Highway near Williams.
The ceremony was well attended by Casillas’ and Lopez’ family, local and county officials, local law enforcement, and a large contingency of war and military service veterans, including the Colusa Veterans of Foreign War Post No. 2441 and the Woodland American Legion Post No. 77. ■
