Cedar Rapids soldier killed in action to be honored with bridge in Kansas
A bill signed by the Kansas governor will name a bridge after a Cedar Rapids soldier who was killed in action 12 years ago.
Gov. Laura Kelley signed into law Kansas House Bill 2070 in April, designating what is now known as the South Summit bridge on U.S. Highway 77 in Arkansas City, Kansas, as the Sgt. Kevin A. Gilbertson Memorial Bridge. Arkansas City is his mother's hometown.
Sgt. Kevin A. Gilbertson died on August 31, 2007 in Landstuhl, Germany after injuries he sustained in an attack by insurgents on his unit in combat operations two days prior in Ramadi, Iraq. He was 24-years-old.
“He joined the Army right out of high school to get a college education when he got out,” Don Gilbertson, Kevin’s father and 30-year Palo resident, said, in a statement.
Kevin graduated in 2001 from Jefferson High School. Before his death, he was recently married and had a newborn son.
“His dream was getting a degree and supporting his family," Don said. “He was the greatest kid in the world.”
A dedication ceremony will be held on August 3, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the bridge in Arkansas City. The public is welcome to attend.
