Mar. 31, 2015
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| Rep. Gary Day led House passage today of legislation that would rename a portion of Route 309 in Lehigh County as the Lance Cpl. Brandon J. Van Parys Memorial Road. Pictured with Day and Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) on the House floor are (back row) his father, Alan Van Parys; (front row) his stepmother, Tammy Van Parys; and his brothers, Daniel and Christopher Van Parys. |
HARRISBURG – Honoring a local hero by naming an area roadway in his memory is one
step closer to fruition after Rep. Gary Day (R-Lehigh/Berks) led the House today in passing legislation to designate a section of Route 309 North in Lehigh County as the Lance Cpl. Brandon J. Van Parys Memorial Road.
Van Parys, a Marine formerly from New Tripoli, was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade in Anbar province, Iraq, on Feb. 5, 2007. At the time, his unit was attempting to secure an area along the Euphrates River. A 2005 graduate of Northwestern Lehigh High School, he was a member of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.
“Brandon was a true patriot, being motivated to join the Marines by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. That makes him a very special person indeed,” Day said. “The fact that we lost him at such a young age and that he died for his country only underscores the importance of the freedom and democracy we hold dear. I am hopeful this road naming will allow us to forever remember Brandon and the ultimate sacrifice he paid.”
He is survived by his father, Alan; his wife, Tammy; his mother, Catherine Hearn, and her husband, Gregory; his brothers, Christopher Van Parys, Daniel Van Parys, Samuel Hearn and Jesse Hearn; and his sister, Ashley Hearn.
Specifically,
House Bill 88 would name the portion of Route 309 North in Lynn Township – between the intersections of Northwest Road and Long Court and Mosserville Road and Mountain Road – in memory of Lance Cpl. Brandon J. Van Parys. Similar legislation passed the state House last fall but did not clear the Senate before the session ended.
“In my conversations with local veterans for the past 20-plus years, the designations and remembrances mean something, especially when we name a highway or bridge for a fallen member of our military,” Day said about the importance of such legislation. “These designations mean that we care, that we honor the men and women who have made that ultimate sacrifice, and that we acknowledge their contributions and believe future generations should as well. For years to come, whenever anyone – motorist or passenger – sees that sign, they may not know who the soldier was, but they will know that he or she died for our country -- they died for their freedom.”
To view Day’s video comments on the importance of the legislation, click here.
The legislation now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Gary Day
187th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Jennifer Keaton
717.705.2094
jkeaton@pahousegop.com
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