Photo By Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton | The Illinois Army National Guard Funeral and Honors Team presents the American Flag...... read more read more
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As Kim Southworth looked across the town park filled with people who came to honor her son, Illinois Army National Guard 1st Lt. Jared W. Southworth, she was filled with pride.
"This is an example of how small-town America honors one of our own," Kim told those who gathered on July 6 in the park to see State Highway 133 named the 1st Lt. Jared W. Southworth Memorial Highway as it passed through the family's hometown of Oakland, Illinois.
"Jared loved this community."
1st Lt. Southworth was killed with Staff Sgt. Jason Burkholder by an improvised explosive device on Feb. 8, 2009 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Southworth was serving as a platoon leader with the 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Kim Southworth recalled how people lined the streets all the way from the airport to the cemetery on the cold February day when Jared came home. She said that she could not express it at the time, but the public support was a great comfort to her family then, and now.
"Thank you for the love and compassion you showed to our family," she said.
"If there is a more patriotic town in America, I don't know if I could find one," said State Sen. Chapin Rose, who helped shepherd the legislation dedicating the highway through the Illinois State Senate whereas State Reps. Adam Niemerg and Chris Miller pushed it through the House of Representatives.
1st Lt. Southworth was also a part-time police officer in Oakland. The small town of about 730 people was joined by police departments from across Illinois in February 2009 when Jared returned home, Rose said. "They all came to Oakland, Illinois."
More than a dozen of those at the July 6 dedication ceremony couldn't attend Southworth's funeral in 2009 - those who served with Jared overseas in the Illinois Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 130th Infantry Regiment, 33d Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
"He was always on. He couldn't shut it off," said Sgt. 1st Class (retired) Heath Clark, who served as Southworth's platoon sergeant and helped the lieutenant prepare his Soldiers to deploy. "Sometimes he'd call in the middle of the night. He had so many ideas."
Clark said Southworth, who earned a Ranger Tab himself, worked very hard to ensure his Soldiers had the education they needed for combat. "He demanded a lot," and wanted his Soldiers to be the best they could be, Clark said.
"He strived to be the best in his field and was dedicated to the nation," State Rep. Miller said. Miller said it was Soldiers like Southworth that earned our nation's independence, freed the slaves, drove the Nazis from power, and fought against tyrants. "Freedom is often defended by citizens from small towns like Oakland," Miller said. "He served on the streets of Oakland as well as in far-off lands. He will not be forgotten."
State Rep. Niemerg said Southworth lived by his motto - God, Family, and Country. "Lieutenant Jared Southworth was a true hero."
Tony Crouch, the Senior Minister of the First Christian Church of Tuscola, spoke of sacrifice and the Army Values - Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage. "Jared epitomized each of those values," he said. "Now there will be a reminder to whoever travels this section of road."
1st Lt. Southworth was a member of the Oakland Christian Church. He graduated from Oakland High School in 2000 and later earned degrees from Lakeland College and Eastern Illinois University, where he was in the Army ROTC program. He married Chrissy Lynn Royer on March 24, 2001 and the couple had four children, now in their late teens and early 20s.
A friend and neighbor of the Southworths, Linda Tabor, helped push for the legislation and helped with the dedication ceremony.
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2024 21:24 |
| Story ID: | 475644 |
| Location: | OAKLAND, ILLINOIS, US |
| Hometown: | OAKLAND, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 135 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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