WARREN - Chris Wortman says whenever she drives from work to her Champion home, she is reminded of her son who was killed in battle in Iraq.
The highway sign on Warren's bypass is a vivid reminder of the ravages of war and a more personal reminder for Wortman about her son - 22-year-old Sgt. Robert M. Carr - along with what he meant to his country and his family.
''I'd rather have him here and there be no sign. But instead, my job is to make sure they don't forget him,'' said Wortman, who will be at a special dedication Sunday along with family and friends of Sgt. Marco Miller of Warren, who also was killed in battle.
Even though highway signs already are posted at two state route bypass interchanges, the move will be formalized at 1 p.m. Sunday at Warren's Community Amphitheatre.
The interchange at state Routes 45 and 82 in Champion will be called the ''Sgt. Robert M. Carr Memorial Interchange.'' Carr, a native of Champion, was killed March 13, 2007, in Iraq while a member of the U.S. Army.
The U.S. 422 and state Route 82 intersection in Warren now will be known as the ''Sgt. Marco Miller Memorial Interchange.'' The Warren G. Harding High School football standout died of injuries sustained when a mortar hit the Humvee in which he was riding near Taji, Iraq.
''It's hard for me to talk about him (Miller). But I sure thought about him Monday on Memorial Day. We went to the cemetery,'' said Miller's mother, Renee Daniels.
Also planned are a Color Guard presentation and a program that includes state Rep. Thomas Letson, D-Warren, who pushed for the signs on the state highway; state Sen. Capri Cafaro, D-Hubbard; and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles.
Following the dedication, a reception is planned at the VFW Post 3332 in Newton Falls, where Wortman works and where she and another son, Matthew, now serving in Afghanistan, are life members.
