Bill to name stretch of highway in Mecosta County after fallen soldier passes Michigan House of Representatives – The Morning Sun

Sergeant Matthew Webber.

A bill sponsored by a state representative from Clare to rename a section of US 131 in Mecosta County has passed the Michigan House of Representatives.

Republican state Rep. Tom Kunse of Clare celebrated the passage of legislation to rename a section of highway near Big Rapids after Sergeant Matthew Webber, an Army veteran from Stanwood.

Webber died in 2006, nearly six months after being injured in an IED attack in Iraq. House Bill 5635 passed unanimously and now goes to the state Senate.

After the accident, Webber survived five and a half months in a US hospital, where the staff
started calling him “Miracle Matt” because he was able to fight for so long despite his injuries.

“We can all learn something from a heroic fighter like Sergeant Webber,” said Kunse. “The man was willing to sacrifice everything for us.”

“His dedication deserves recognition for years to come. This highway designation is a well-deserved honor for an American hero from Northern Michigan.”

Webber enlisted in the Army National Guard during his junior year of high school. He rose to the rank of sergeant and assumed the role of squad leader.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2000 and served until his death in 2006.

Webber was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his services. He was also posthumously
with a degree from Western Michigan University.

In drafting the bill, Kunse specifically chose to include a section of highway that crosses the Muskegon River as a tribute to Webber, whose family owns a cabin on the waterway where he enjoyed kayaking.

Webber was 23 when he died on April 27, 2006, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

The son of Alan and Jayne (DeBoer) Webber, he graduated from Morley Stanwood High School in 2001 and attended Western Michigan University. He joined the National Guard in 1999 and was called to active duty in June 2005.

Eventually he was stationed in Habbaniah, Iraq, where he was injured.