The names of 14 local soldiers who died in the line of duty will be added to House Bill 325 and roads in Butler County will bear their names after State Sen. Bill Coley, R–Liberty Twp., announced passage of the bill Tuesday afternoon.

Coley said there was no way citizens can “properly repay those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our safety.” But he hopes the naming of the highways will remind people of “all of the great values that exist in our safety and freedom.”

Two Butler County families — Roger and Margaret Egnor of Liberty Twp., and Jim and Kim Robinson of Monroe — joined Coley in Senate Chambers during the vote.

Chief Warrant Officer Jody L. Egnor, 32, will have Ohio 747 in Liberty Twp., named in his honor. Egnor graduated from Lakota High School in 1988. His Army Chinook helicopter caught fire on Feb. 22, 2002, during a pre-dawn, anti-terrorism mission in the Philippines. The burning chopper crashed into shark-infested waters and exploded on impact, killing all 10 soldiers on board.

Roger Egnor said after he, his wife and their 50-year-old daughter, Robin, die, there will be a permanent reminder of their son’s sacrifices. Hopefully, he said, the sign will inspire motorists to research his son.

He said it’s “very emotional” every time he attends a memorial service for his son, but also “heart-wrenching in a good way” knowing people are remembering him.

Part of Ohio 73 in Middletown will be named in honor of Lance Cpl. William “Billy” D. Spencer, who was killed on Dec. 28, 2006 in Al Anbar province. Spencer was born in Cincinnati but grew up in Paris, Tenn., where he played football at Henry County High School. After graduating in 2004, Spencer trained with the Nashville-based I Company reserve unit of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment. In late 2006, Spencer and 75 Nashville-based members of the 3rd Battalion went to Iraq with the 1st Battalion, 24th Regiment.

His father, Dave Spencer, a Middletown native, said having Ohio 73 named in his son’s honor has added significance because he frequently crossed that road from his home to a fishing hole in the Great Miami River.

He said Middletown residents “wrapped their hearts around” his son, though he never lived here.

“Whoever said you can’t go home wasn’t from Middletown,” Spencer said.