Gone But Never Forgotten: M-26 Bears the Name of a Painesdale World War II Veteran

From the place where Wesley Karna was born. To the place, he was laid to rest. M-26 now bears the moniker Private Wesley Vietti Karna Memorial Highway. On Friday a formal ceremony was held with Private Karna’s descendants, Representative Greg Markkanen, and a veteran with the South Range VFW Post 6165. Brad Uren, Karna’s Great Nephew, led the dedication. Sharing the emotional journey to Italy and collaboration between Italian WWII historians, his family, and Representative Markkanen.

It was really, truly emotional. I’ve always followed history and to have something that was not only historical but also so deeply personal and related to my family was something I’ve never experienced before. But it was truly life-changing. It was so memorable to be there and have that connection not just to events that I had read about but to events that I now understood impacted my family directly. It was the trip of a lifetime. – Brad Uren, Private Karna’s Great Nephew

Representative Markkanen’s legislation to name the highway section was passed unanimously across the state house and senate before being signed by Governor Whitmer. While speaking to the room he expressed his passion for veteran services and memorializing those who served their country to the fullest extent. Adding that he feels it’s important to help veteran families find closure for those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

Well, I think it gave the committee members and members on the floor that I shared this with the opportunity to see closure with the family. You know, to be able to see where their great uncle, you know, made his supreme sacrifice. And the canteen cup really was that piece of information that the family had been missing for almost 80 years. I feel that the committee members and members on the floor of the House, people in the Senate, and senators who heard the story realize that anytime you have closure, that’s a good thing. – Representative Greg Markkanen, 110th District, Michigan House of Representatives

Private Wesley Vietti Karna was born in Painesdale. He died while fighting for the Allied front in World War II at the Gothic Line in Italy on September 24th, 1944. He was later laid to rest at the Mountain View Cemetery in South Range. Uren and his family have already driven from sign to sign. He shared that it was an emotional journey for each of them. Karna is also named alongside other veteran from Painesdale at the Painesdale Veteran Memorial in front of Jeffers High School.