Army Ranger killed doing inventory is honored with sign on Route 120
Thousands of Lake County commuters will be seeing the name of Army Ranger Joseph Dimock II, who died in Afghanistan from injuries he suffered in an ammunition holding facility explosion.
In a ceremony on the fifth anniversary of his death Friday, a sign on westbound Route 120 near Grayslake was unveiled to mark a stretch of the highway now dedicated to Dimock. The brown sign with white lettering just east of Route 45 reads, "Army SPC Joey Dimock II Memorial Highway."
About 100 spectators - including Dimock's family, friends and state officials - gathered for the ceremony in unincorporated Wildwood. The crowd applauded after an Illinois Department of Transportation worker removed the covering from the sign with Dimock's family gathered nearby.
"We will continue to honor, remember and celebrate Joey," said his mother, Ellen Dimock.
IDOT traffic counts show roughly 26,900 daily vehicle trips in the area where Dimock's sign stands.
Dimock, who lived in Wildwood near the portion of highway named in his honor, was 21 when he died in Salerno, Afghanistan, on July 10, 2010. The 2007 graduate of Warren Township High School in Gurnee was on his second deployment to Afghanistan and had a previous mission to Iraq, according to the U.S. Defense Department.
Federal officials said Dimock was killed while conducting inventory in the ammunition holding facility. The explosion also injured another Ranger.
Dimock was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and a Meritorious Service Medal.
He enlisted in the Army in August 2007 after his high school graduation.
At Friday's ceremony, Grayslake Fire Protection District Chief John Christian led with remembrances of Dimock. Christian became a family friend after he got to know Ellen Dimock, a 16-year fire protection district board member.
Christian said Dimock was a fun-loving young man who attained the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout while at Warren High and was involved in his church's youth mission trips. He said Dimock's parents were worried about their son after he enlisted in the Army.
"Specialist Dimock was not only an American hero, but he was dedicated to his faith and his community," Christian said. "Joey's service to the Wildwood Presbyterian Church was admirable for such a young man. His exceptional quality was certainly cultivated by his parents and their passion for their Lord and savior."
State Sen. Melinda Bush and state Rep. Sam Yingling, both from Grayslake, sponsored a joint resolution in the General Assembly that dedicated the portion of Route 120 to Dimock. Bush read the proclamation to the crowd.
Lindenhurst resident Cindy Duncan showed her support by holding a sign that stated: "Thank you Spc Dimock. Rangers lead the way!" She said her husband knew Dimock when they were in Boy Scouts together.