Assemblymember James Ramos authored the resolution, which will name the Haven Avenue 210 Freeway overcrossing after Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola. "It's the least we can do as a country and as a community... to honor a fallen soldier who gave the ultimate sacrifice," Ramos said.
Lance Cpl. Merola was one of 13 U.S. troops killed during the August 2021 bombing at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. Merola was born in Upland and grew up in Rancho Cucamonga. He committed to the U.S. Marines while attending Los Osos High School, where he graduated in 2019.
"(The overcrossing will) always be a remembrance for Lance Corporal Dylan Merola, but also as a reminder for all of our fallen heroes... that not a day goes by that we don't lift them up in prayer and keep them in our thoughts," Ramos said.
In a written statement, Merola's mother, Cheryl Rex, said that she was overwhelmed with the honor and that she was thankful for the community's continued love and support. "My family and I are being blessed with the renaming of the Haven overpass," Rex said. "We hope that the many people who drive through our hometown will see Dylan's name and remember him and his unit for the sacrifice they made for all mankind on August 26, 2021."
