DUNEDIN, Fla. — A stretch of highway in Dunedin has been dedicated to a man who died while serving in the Army more than 10 years ago.

What You Need To Know

  • A portion of Alt. U.S. Highway 19 in Dunedin has been dedicated to Spc. Zachary L. Shannon

  • Shannon, a Dunedin native, died while serving in the Army in March 2012

  • The stretch of highway that's now dedicated to Shannon goes from Orange Street to Michigan Boulevard

In 2013, Spc. Zachary Shannon’s helicopter crashed while he was serving in Afghanistan.

The crash happened during a training exercise and claimed Shannon’s life and the lives of five others.

While Kim Allison, Shannon’s mother, knew of her son’s bravery and his love for Dunedin, she never could have imagined that his community would show support like they have these past 10 years.

“It was better than I expected, and I'm so glad to see everybody who came out,” she said.

Because it all culminated in Monday morning’s ceremony on Bayshore Boulevard in Dunedin.

Dozens of people gathered to honor and celebrate Shannon by officially designating this stretch of road the Spc. Zachary L. Shannon Memorial Highway.

“Today we remember, and we celebrate, the life of one of our community's bravest heroes,” said Rep. Adam Anderson, a member of the Florida Legislature who sponsored the bill that designated the highway.

Those who knew Shannon said the celebration meant a lot, especially for people like Anderson and Shannon’s brother Rob Mirrione, who said his brother would be humbled by all of this.

“It's pretty amazing to come home and see how much his community has really supported him,” he said.

Allison — who, when she first spoke to Spectrum News in March, showed the wall in her home covered in military memorabilia and memorabilia of her son — also said the event was amazing.

“Even though he’s not physically here, it’s nice to see his name up and so everybody can say, 'Who’s that?'" she said in March. "Or travel down the road and say, 'I’m traveling on Zach Street.'”

Allison said she can’t wait to say exactly that every time she drives on her son’s street.

“This is my son’s highway,” she said.

Along with the ceremony, there was a procession that took place from the park in Dunedin where the dedication took place to the local VFW in town.

The Spc. Zachary L. Shannon Memorial Highway stretches between Orange Street and Michigan Boulevard on Alt. U.S. Highway 19.