JEFFERSON CITY – Senator Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, and Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, are co-sponsoring legislation in the Missouri Senate and Representative Elaine Gannon, R-DeSoto, filed a bill in the Missouri House that would designate a portion of U.S. Interstate Highway 55 in Jefferson County as the “USMA Cadet Thomas M. Surdyke Memorial Highway.”
During a one-week break between air assault and cadet field training, Cadet Surdyke was vacationing at a beach on Long Island, New York, on June 24, 2016 when he and a civilian he’d only met that day got pulled out to sea in a riptide. Without regard for his own safety, Cadet Surdyke immediately grabbed the civilian and physically assisted in keeping the civilian’s head above water until help could arrive. Before becoming overcome by exhaustion, Cadet Surdyke managed to push the civilian up, enabling a bystander on a paddle board to pull him out of the water, thereby saving the civilian’s life.
Within a couple minutes of being incapacitated, onlookers managed to pull the cadet out of the water. A couple minutes later, emergency workers arrived to take him to the hospital. He was kept alive on a ventilator before passing on June 28th, 2016. Cadet Surdyke continued to serve others by donating his organs, which will save additional lives.
A native of Festus and a graduate of St. Pius X, Cadet Surdyke was an Eagle Scout, former football player and had recently completed his first year at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was one of four children and the only son of Tim and Janice Surdyke.
“It is my honor to co-sponsor this bill with Sen. Wieland,” Senator Romine said. “Thomas’ heroic actions are indicative of his willingness to serve and sense of self-sacrifice, qualities every parent hopes their child possesses. He is exactly the type of person the Memorial Highway Program was designed to honor.”
“Cadet Thomas Surdyke represented the best of our citizens,” said Sen. Wieland. “This young man died saving the life of someone he had just met. He more than earned this honor, and I’m so proud to be able to co-sponsor this legislation.”
Representative Gannon said “I am humbled to sponsor HB 678, the House version of SB 322, honoring the life and heroic efforts of Cadet Thomas Surdyke. Tom’s nature was to put others first and his example of leadership and bravery will never be forgotten.”
If passed into law, Senate Bill 322 would rename the portion of U.S. Interstate Highway 55 in Jefferson County from U.S. Highway 61 at exit 170 continuing north to its interchange with U.S. Highway 67 at exit 174B.