Bridge in Shirley named after Cpl. Paulo Pacificador

Three years after a Shirley soldier lost his life fighting in Iraq, his parents gathered Friday on a familiar roadway to dedicate a part of Long Island to his memory.

Under the shade of several American flags, Jose and Elsie Pacificador watched as officials unveiled "Cpl. Paulo Marko Pacificador Memorial Bridge," the new name of an overpass on William Floyd Parkway over Sunrise Highway in Shirley.

The couple often drive on the bridge, their son never far from their thoughts. Now, they say, others will know his name and learn of his sacrifice.

Pacificador, 24, and three other soldiers were killed Aug. 13, 2007, in Qayyarah, Iraq, when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle, according to the Department of Defense.He was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart posthumously.

After Pacificador's death, his parents approached lawmakers about naming a community site after their son. On Friday, Pacificador's family, local officials, and dozens of community members gathered outside as the bridge's new name was unveiled on a green and white road sign.

"He sacrificed everything. He must be remembered for what he was doing," Jose Pacificador said.

Paulo Pacificador graduated from William Floyd High School and studied computer engineering at Suffolk County Community College, his family said. Following a family tradition of military service, Pacificador enlisted in the Army and was sent to Iraq in October 2006. Pacificador was on his second tour of duty in 2007. (I-Sag Harbor) said.

Suffolk County Legis. Kate M. Browning (WF-Shirley) also attended. She was Pacificador's former school bus driver and described him as a fun and friendly student.

She had a message Friday for those sharing the moment: "Let's not forget our kids who we have lost." 

Places renamed for fallen soldiers

-- In 2004, an intersection at Fifth Avenue and Pine Aire Drive in North Bay Shore was renamed Raheen Heighter Drive after a soldier who died in Iraq in 2003.

-- In 2006, Brookhaven Town Beach was named for Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a SEAL commando killed in June 2006 in a remote mountainous area of Afghanistan.

-- In 2006, a new street in Central Islip was named Mateo Drive after Marine Lance Cpl. Ramon Mateo, killed in 2004 when his convoy was attacked near Baghdad.

-- In 2007, Madsen Lane in East Northport was renamed Cpl. Christopher G. Scherer Way. Scherer was killed on July 21, 2007 in Iraq.

-- In 2008, a Mount Sinai road was named for Army Spc. Joseph Dwyer, who struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after returning to the United States from serving in Iraq.

-- In 2008, Starlit Drive in Northport was named Joseph J. Boccia Jr. / Starlit Drive. Boccia was killed on Oct. 23, 1983, in the Marine Corps barracks bombing in Lebanon.

-- In 2009, a picnic area at South Haven County Park was renamed after Spc. Thomas Wilwerth, a Mastic native who was killed Feb. 22, 2006, in Iraq.