A section of U.S. 67 in Butler County soon will be dedicated as a lasting tribute to a Missouri State Highway Patrol sergeant who made the ultimate sacrifice when the helicopter he was piloting crashed, killing both himself and a civilian photographer.
The bill, which was signed into law in July by Gov. Jay Nixon and goes into effect on Aug. 28, designates the portion of U.S. Highway 67, from County Road 422 to the U.S. Highway 60 East/67 South Bypass, as the "Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant David May Memorial Highway."
That portion of U.S. 67 runs in front of the Highway Patrol's Troop E Headquarters in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
The tribute, according to May's widow, Lynda May Anderson, is "very touching. Poplar Bluff was and has been such a support to us.
"Even though we moved to Springfield to start over ... it means so much for (Poplar Bluff) to continue to support us and our memory of David in such a way."
Anderson described the highway dedication as being "above and beyond," which is something the Highway Patrol always does.
"It means a lot to me and my girls," Anderson said. "I can't speak for my girls, (but) I know that it just touches our hearts in a special way."
Having the highway not only in Poplar Bluff, but in front of the Highway Patrol station, which is "where his heart was, is very special to us," Anderson said. "There are no words for the support Poplar Bluff has given us through the years."
Anderson said she and her daughters, Tara and Krista, still come back to Poplar Bluff to visit friends.
"None of them have forgotten us, and we haven't forgotten them," Anderson said. "I'm very touched that (the highway) will be a permanent part of Poplar Bluff and the memory we have of him. We miss him very much."
An 18-year veteran of the Highway Patrol, May, 41, died when the 1972 Bell OH-58 helicopter he was piloting crashed May 17, 1999, in Poplar Bluff.
He and professional photographer, Ricky Gunnels Jr. of Dexter, Mo., had spent much of the day photographing and videotaping the law enforcement torch run for Special Olympics in Southeast Missouri.
After completing the assignment, May had started flying back to Poplar Bluff from Dexter when it began to storm, and he landed in Malden, Mo., to let the storm pass.
Following a subsequent conversation with a fellow pilot about the weather, May decided to resume his flight.
As May was flying over central Poplar Bluff, the helicopter began to experience a problem.
According to witnesses, the helicopter's tail rotor had quit working, causing the aircraft to spin.
After it spun once, according to some witnesses, May was able to regain control momentarily and guide the helicopter away from a subdivision and into a narrow, grassy area between the Coffman, Eads, Capps & Summers CPA office and a residential area. May died on impact.
"I want to thank everybody that was involved in dedicating the highway, especially the Missouri legislators, for all the work they've done," said Capt. George Ridens, Troop E's commanding officer. "(The honor) is probably a long time coming, but I think it is well deserved."
Not only was May a longtime member of the Highway Patrol, Ridens said, anyone who knew him knew he also was active in his church and the Poplar Bluff community.
"It's a tribute that should have been done a little sooner (but) it didn't get done. It's still an important thing" for the May family and the Highway Patrol, said Ridens, who, at the time of May's death, was the lieutenant supervising Troop E's pilots.
Honoring May was "something that the Highway Patrol brought to my attention, and really, Jim Bumpus was one of the driving forces behind" the designation, explained State Rep. Todd Richardson, who sponsored the legislation. "We thought it was important to do something to honor David's memory and his years of service."
A native of Risco, Mo., May began his career with the Highway Patrol on Jan. 5, 1981, at Portageville, Mo. He later transferred to Dexter and then Poplar Bluff. He was serving as Troop E's full-time pilot at the time of this death.
In it's investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the helicopter's crash was it's tail rotor impacting with a blue warm-up jacket and the subsequent overload of the tail rotor drive shaft.
A contributing factor was the absence of the helicopter's entry doors, which had been removed for the flight.
After May's death, Troop E's fixed-wing aircraft registration number was changed in December 1999 to include his badge number of 873. It continues to be known as N873MP in May's honor.
Patrol officials, Richardson said, unsuccessfully had made efforts to name one of the hangers in Jefferson City, Mo., in May's honor.
"When those efforts didn't materialize, it was decided to circle back and go this route ... a fitting route, a half mile on either side of Troop E Headquarters," Richardson said. "You could not pick a better location for this."
Richardson hopes the memorial highway will cause people to "remember David and his service."
Getting the designation was "just a matter of time," Richardson said. "This year was the time to jump on it.
"We started on it the first part of January. I was happy to see the governor sign it; I'll be happier when the signs are put up and we have the dedication."
Discussions are ongoing about the dedication ceremony, which Richardson expects will be sometime this fall.
Ridens said officials have been in touch with the representatives of the Missouri State Troopers Association about purchasing the signs, which are in the process of being made.
"Once they are made, then we can start putting together a date" for the ceremony, Ridens said.
The signs, Richardson said, are being made and will be put up without any taxpayer money being spent. "The money they (MOSTA) give will go to pay for the signs," he said.