NATCHEZ — Members of the Adams County community will gather this week to honor one of its fallen own.

Local elected and community leaders will gather with representatives from the Mississippi Department of Transportation at 6 p.m. Thursday at Community Chapel Church of God to dedicate a portion of U.S. 61 South as the Sergeant First Class Severin West Summers III Memorial Highway.

Summers enlisted as an infantryman in the U.S. Army in 1989, and during his career he qualified for the Army Special Forces and as an Army ranger.

Summers was living in Natchez and working as a recruiter in Bentonia when he volunteered for a tour in Operation Enduring Freedom.

He died July 2, 2009, during that tour.

Summers and two other members of the 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group were killed in Qole Gerdsar, Afghanistan when their vehicle was attacked with an improvised explosive device.

Summers was buried in Arlington National Cemetery Aug. 31, 2009.

During the 2012 Mississippi legislative session, the legislature passed a bill directing MDOT to designate the highway in Summers’ memory and to erect and maintain appropriate signs noting its designation.

The portion of the highway being dedicated begins at the intersection of U.S. 61 and Kingston Road and stretches to Hutchins Landing Road.

Summers’ survivors include his wife, Tammy, of Natchez, and his daughters, Jessica, Shelby and Sarah; his parents; a sister and three brothers.

The public is welcome to attend the dedication.