Portion of U.S. 19 Renamed in Honor of Army Specialist Nicholas Panipinto
A stretch of U.S. Highway 19 in Manatee County will now bear the name of a fallen local soldier following a state-approved memorial designation. On Tuesday morning, community members, elected officials, and the family of U.S. Army Specialist Nicholas Panipinto will gather for a road-naming ceremony to officially dedicate the section as the “Army Specialist Nicholas Panipinto Memorial Highway.”
The ceremony, set for 9 a.m. between Palm View Road and Terra Ceia Road in Palmetto, will honor the 20-year-old soldier who tragically lost his life in a training accident in South Korea in 2019. State Senator Jim Boyd and Representative Will Robinson, both Bradenton Republicans, are expected to attend and speak at the event, along with municipal leaders and members of Panipinto’s family.
Specialist Panipinto died during a routine exercise at Camp Humphreys when the Bradley Fighting Vehicle he was operating overturned. Investigations later revealed serious shortcomings in training and supervision. Panipinto had only a few hours of hands-on instruction and no formal classroom training on the 15-ton armored vehicle. The accident prompted a broader Army review, resulting in the dismissal of a Staff Sergeant and two company officers and widespread changes to military training protocols.
Senator Boyd spearheaded the legislative effort to name the road in Panipinto’s memory. The designation was included in SB 868, part of a larger state measure that renamed multiple roadways in honor of distinguished Floridians.
A sign marking the new designation will be installed along the memorial highway, ensuring that Panipinto’s sacrifice and service are remembered by all who travel through this part of Manatee County.
