New Jersey Assemblyman Sean Kean has successfully spearheaded a bill to name a section of Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights in memory of World War II veteran John Tarantino. The bill (A4955), signed into law on Tuesday, designates mileposts 3.25 to 3.70 as the “John Tarantino Highway.”

Tarantino, a Brooklyn native born to Italian immigrants in 1924, served in the 47th Armored Infantry Battalion, 5th Armored Division, 3rd United States Army Group under Gen. George S. Patton. His notable military career included participating in the liberation of Luxembourg, the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge.