OH-16: John Boccieri Honors "America's Schoolmaster"

On Tuesday, Ohio State Senator John Boccieri along with co-sponsor Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd, offered sponsor testimony to the Senate's Highways and Transportation Committee in a package of four bills "to honor local deceased".

Among those honored in the bill were William Holmes McGuffey, "America's Schoolmaster", of whom Boccieri said,

"...was the educator, lecturer and author whose work became the standardized text for school children in the 19th Century."

The bill would designate a section of Interstate 680 in Mahoning County as the William Holmes McGuffey Memorial Highway.

Boccieri also gave testimony on behalf of a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers who “suffered a deadly electric shock” while setting up concrete barriers on Interstate 76. The bill would designate the Lake Milton Bridge in Mahoning County the Peter J. DeLucia Memorial Bridge.

The other two honorees, not the least among them, I wish would be the last of which I would ever read or write, again.

The intersection of the intersection of U.S. Route 422 and state Route 82 as the Sgt. Marco Miller Memorial Interchange, in memory of the Warren native who re-enlisted in the National Guard following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. He died after being injured near Taji, Iraq, in December 2006.

Another bill would designate the intersection of state Routes 45 and 82 in Champion Township as the Sgt. Robert M. Carr Memorial Interchange. Carr enlisted in the Army after Sept. 11, 2001, while he was still a junior at Champion High School. He was killed after the vehicle he was driving rolled over an explosive device near Baghdad in March 2007.

How many more? How many more?

Sen. John Boccieri Testifies on Behalf of Fallen Hero Lance Cpl. Daniel McVicker

John Boccieri hears "hero" attached to his name often enough, but on Tuesday, April 23, 2008, the Ohio Democratic Senator gave sponsor testimony before the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee in support of Senate Bill 238. The bill will dedicate a portion of U.S. Route 62, in Alliance, to Lance Cpl. Daniel McVicker, one of the "Fallen Heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom".

The section of Route 62 in Daniel's hometown of Alliance, Ohio, will called the "Lance Cpl. Daniel McVicker Memorial Highway", in honor of the 20 year old Marine, who was part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was attached to Regimental Combat Team 2, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward). He died on October 6, 2005, while driving security detail near Al Quaim, Iraq.

According to the Alliance Review, Sen. John Boccieri, D-New Middletown, testified before the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee on behalf of the West Branch Warrior, who enlisted on his 18th birthday in 2003 in response to 9/11.

State Senator John Boccieri(D) testified:

"During the course of his young life, Daniel McVicker served his school, his community and his country with pride. Daniel was a courageous soldier, son, brother and friend whose loss is deeply felt by his family and within his community. It is only fitting that we seek to preserve the legacy of this brave hometown hero."

Boccieri, finished his testimony adding,

"It is soldiers like Lance Cpl. Dan McVicker that gives us all comfort that American freedom will live on."

Some give all! Lance Cpl. Daniel McVicker was a true American Hero.