BERLIN HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) — A lasting symbol of service and sacrifice is now on display in honor of fallen U.S. Navy Corpsman Maxton Soviak.

Soviak was one of 13 U.S. military personnel killed in 2021 when a bomb exploded at the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan.

On Friday, the Soviak family unveiled the U.S. Navy Corpsman Maxton Soviak Memorial Highway along a stretch of State Route 113 near Edison High School, Maxton’s alma mater.

“Today is kind of rough,” said Kip Soviak. “It brings up all the emotions you got from the very beginning. It’s an incredible honor. … People still remember him and want to see his name live on.”

Village Mayor Connie Ward said the effort to honor Soviak started shortly after he was killed, and input poured in from the community.

“Maxton and other Americans are true heroes and so we need to remember that and honor their legacy and their memory,” said Ward.

Soviak was a 2017 graduate of Edison High School, where he played football and had a determined mind to join the Navy, his family said.

“When Maxton Soviak was killed in that bombing, it was devastating for our community, for our area, for our state,” said state Sen. Theresa Gavarone of Bowling Green, R-2nd. “We wanted to do something.”

Since Soviak’s death, his family created the Corpsman Maxton Soviak Memorial Foundation, dedicated to providing resources to help veterans live life to the “max.”

“We want everybody to know that he was here,” said Kip Soviak. “He was a representative of this community across the world. I want them to remember. I think he did it with honor and you should be proud.”