Memorial sign dedication ceremony planned for fallen soldier

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A sign marking the Spc. James Burnett Jr. Memorial Highway will be dedicated at 4 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Advance Elementary School cafeteria, 33790 State Highway 91 North, in Advance, Mo. State Sen. Rob Mayer sponsored legislation naming Highway 25 in Stoddard County, from the city limits of Advance to one mile south of the city limits, after Burnett.

Burnett, 21, died on Nov. 16, 2011, while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds caused by an roadside bomb. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Wainwright, Alaska. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and several others. Burnett's father and stepmother, James and Cheri Burnett, reside in Brownwood, Mo. For more information about the dedication ceremony, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636.

Pertinent address:

33790 State Highway 91 North, Advance, MO