Senate Passes Schaffer Bill Honoring Fallen Marine

COLUMBUS—The Ohio Senate today unanimously passed Senate Bill 289, sponsored by State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), which will name the portion of Interstate 70 in Fairfield County as the “Corporal Dustin A. Derga Memorial Highway” "This legislation was brought to me by Nick Garver, a friend of Cpl. Derga, as a way to honor and enshrine his service to his community and country," Schaffer said. "This is a small but important way to commemorate his service and sacrifice." Corporal Derga served as a member of the Marine Corps Reserve Unit Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Regiment, 4th Marines Division. He was a 1999 graduate of Pickerington High School and served his community as volunteer fire fighter for Basil Joint Fire District in Fairfield County before being deployed to Iraq in 2005 as a part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Corporal Derga was killed in action on May 8, 2005 while fighting enemy insurgents in Urbaydi, Iraq. He was one of 22 Marines and a Navy corpsman from Lima Company who gave their lives during their Iraq deployment in 2005. Senate Bill 289 will now be sent to the Ohio House for further consideration.