Pueblo County to name highway after local Marine killed in Vietnam War

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -A Pueblo County marine,  who died in line of duty is now being honored.

PFC Thomas Michael "Mike" Hanratty, USMC, was a resident of Pueblo County who attended school at Southern Colorado State College and was a member of the local community. He was was killed in action during the Vietnam War when the helicopter he was riding in was attacked and crashed.

To this day, Bessie Langdon still holds on to every letter that her brother "Mike" Hanratty wrote her family during the Vietnam war.

"He always signed them all love Mike," said Langdon.

But shortly after that last letter came,  telegrams from the government appeared on her doorstep. Some claiming Mike was missing after his helicopter crashed in June of 1967.

 "You held your breath for a really long time because they notified us right away. but then they didn't we didn't really hear anything. and we got like four telegrams," said Langdon.

Others wrote to the family saying he's dead.

 "It's been really tough all these years, just think about him every day," said Dan Henratty, Mikes cousin.

But soon everyone that drives between Hog Farm Rd. and Siloam Rd. on Colorado Highway 78 will think of Mike too and the ultimate sacrifice he took to keep our country safe. 

Now, Mike's cousin, Dan Henratty, hopes this new signage honoring Mike  will bring him a little more closure, since the government hasn't yet found mike's remains to bring them back home to Beulah. 

 "I've talked to a lot of veterans, my own family. I have several veterans and they all appreciate what we're doing. and they think it really means a lot to the family and to this community," said Dan.

 All signs are planned to be installed by June 11th, the 57th anniversary of Hanratty's death.