Brett Witteveen Memorial sign installed along US 31.

– Contributed photo

Brett Witteveen Memorial sign installed along US 31.

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor.

OCEANA COUNTY — A portion of US 31 between Hart and Shelby has been named in honor of a local hero — US Marine Corps PFC Brett Witteveen who died in combat in Iraq in 2007.

The Michigan Senate unanimously approved a bill last year that named a portion of US 31 after Witteveen, who was from Shelby and graduated from Hart High School in 2005.

Brett Witteveen

“Brett Witteveen is an American hero, but more importantly, he was a son, a brother, a cousin and a friend,” previously said State Senator Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo) who introduced the bill. “We all owe a great debt to the Witteveen family.”

The Brett Witteveen Memorial Highway spans from Shelby Road, exit 144, in Shelby to Polk Road, exit 149, in Hart.

There will be two signs — one at each end of the memorial route, said David Masunas, Detachment Commandant of the Oceana County/Brett Witteveen Marine Corps League Detachment 1225 and past Department Commandant for the state.

The Oceana County detachment raised over the $4,800 to pay for the signs in less than a week through a Facebook fundraiser, said Masunas. The $1,000 over the amount needed for the signs was placed in the US Marine Brett Witteveen Memorial Scholarship Foundation that benefits local students.

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