Tennessee Honors Fallen Soldiers

Officials on Friday named 15 bridges and overpasses on state Route 840 after National Guardsmen killed in Iraq.

The 78-mile stretch dubbed Tennessee National Guard Parkway runs in a southern half-circle around Nashville, intersecting Interstate 40 in Lebanon in the east and Dickson in the west.

"I'm proud that we're doing this and I do think it gives some tangible recognition," said Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat. "There will be a lot of people who see those names on the bridges long after we're gone, and perhaps it will remind them that there are people who have sacrificed everything."

Bredesen said it's probably unlikely that these will be the last bridges named after fallen guardsmen.

This news comes from WSMV in Nashville.

Home for a Hero

The "Home for a Hero" concert will raise funds for local soldier Sgt. Kevin Downs and honor the Tennessee National Guard and all United States Armed Forces.

Multi-award-winning band Lonestar will headline the concert and take the stage with Charlie Daniels, Craig Morgan, Joe Diffie, Collin Raye, John Berry, David Lee Murphy, Paulette Carlson of Highway 101, Jamie Lee Thurston, singing female duo Bomshel and now Craig Morgan. Storme Warren from GAC TV will emcee the event.

The event will also feature a military “heavy metal” pre-show event courtesy of the Tennessee National Guard and will include a display of military vehicles and weaponry, Laser Shot Indoor Range System, a rock wall, a fireworks show and more.

Tickets are $22 in advance, $32 at the gate and $15 for military personnel. Tickets can be purchased online at www.homeforahero.com or through the Nashville Sounds box office. The pre-show event will begin at 5:00 p.m. The concert will begin at 7:00 p.m.

The concert will help raise the funds necessary to design and build a specially suited house for 22-year-old soldier Kevin Downs who was severely wounded in Iraq in August 2005 when he was blown from the gunner’s hatch of a humvee during an ambush that killed three American soldiers from the 278th Regimental Combat Team of the Tennessee National Guard unit. As the sole survivor, he received burns on over 60 percent of his body, lost both legs and is reduced to only partial use of one hand. The new house will allow Kevin to live an independent life.

Sponsors include the Nashville Sounds; Comcast Spotlight; Clear Channel Communications, Inc.; GX Magazine; Diamond Gusset Jeans; County Q Productions; Southwest Airlines; Clair Brothers Audio; Bandit Lites; Concert Staging; I-MAG Video; Peavey Electronics Corporation; Gish, Sherwood & Friends; MindReactor; ICON Communications Group; Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis; and the South Cheatham Advocate.

For more information, visit www.homeforahero.com.