The Sakonnet River Bridge is a step closer to a new name.
Last week, the Rhode Island House of Representatives approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Samuel Azzinaro to rename the span as the “Staff Sergeant Christopher Potts Sakonnet River Bridge.”
A similar bill sponsored by Sen. Walter Felag was passed by the Senate in March, and final passage of the legislation is pending.
Potts served in the Rhode Island National Guard for over 14 years and was assigned to Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, Army National Guard. He deployed to Iraq in March 2004 and was killed during combat operations in Taji, Iraq, on October 3, 2004, which was his birthday.
Potts was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” and the Purple Heart.
At the time of his death, Potts lived with his wife and two sons in Tiverton and had deep roots on Aquidneck Island. His father is from Portsmouth, and his mother hails from Middletown. He worked for years as a marine mechanic at New England Boatworks in Portsmouth before being deployed to Iraq.
Following passage of bills in the Rhode Island General Assembly, the Sakonnet River Bridge could soon be renamed in honor of Christopher Potts, who died in Iraq in 2004.
At a ceremony honoring Potts shortly after his death, he was remembered for enjoying fishing, golfing, riding his dirt bike, the New York Yankees and, most importantly, playing third base on three different softball teams. Officials also recalled the bond between Potts and his son Chris, who “was always right at his heels.”
“Staff Sergeant Potts represented the best of what Rhode Island has to offer and while his death was tragic, the life he lived was full of valor, dedication and selflessness. To rename this major Rhode Island bridge in his honor is a worthy tribute to a true Rhode Island hero who willingly gave his life so that we all may live in a world free of tyranny and persecution. And now, hopefully whenever someone drives over this bridge, they will be compelled to look up who Staff Sergeant Potts was and discover how his legacy will live on in the state that he loved so much,” Azzinaro said in a statement.
An effort to name the bridge connecting Tiverton and Portsmouth in Potts’ honor has been 15 years in the making with Tiverton state Rep. John Edwards having first filed legislation to recognize Potts in 2009. At that time, the previous Sakonnet River Bridge was still in place, with the new structure completed in 2012.
“Staff Sergeant Potts was a true American hero and his young life was tragically cut short at the age of 38 while he defended freedom and democracy abroad. Renaming the Sakonnet Bridge in his honor will serve as a fitting reminder of what our service members sacrifice in order to protect the ideals and freedoms that we deeply cherish. Staff Sergeant Potts was a beloved member of the community and I hope this recognition will make his family members proud of the valiant and dedicated life that he lived,” Felag said in a statement following the passage of his bill.
Material from The Herald News, in Fall River, Mass., archives is included in this story.
This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Sakonnet River Bridge to be renamed for Christopher Potts
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