(Pictured, L-R: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Donaldson, Sargent Timothy Sayne)
Two Effingham overpasses will now bear the names of local servicemen who gave their lives in service to the nation after legislation sponsored by State Representatives Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) and Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) was approved by the Illinois General Assembly.
Senate Joint Resolution 61 designates the Fourth Street Interstate 57/70 overpass in Effingham as the Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Donaldson Memorial Overpass. Donaldson, a 1995 graduate of Effingham High School, served with the 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. He was killed on May 5, 2006, when a CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during combat operations in Afghanistan.
Senate Joint Resolution 62 designates the Fayette Avenue Interstate 57/70 overpass as the Sgt. Timothy Sayne Memorial Overpass. Sayne, also an Effingham High School graduate, served with B Troop, 5-1 Cavalry, 1/25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. He was killed in action in Afghanistan on Sept. 18, 2011.
Wilhour said the designation honors Donaldson’s ultimate sacrifice and provides lasting recognition of his service to the country. Niemerg said the memorial overpass for Sayne will serve as a lasting reminder of his sacrifice and reflects the community’s respect for military service members. Both resolutions have passed the Illinois House and Senate and now officially become law.
Niemerg and Wilhour also thanked the Donaldson and Sayne families, along with Libby Moeller, for their assistance in helping secure passage of the memorial designations.