The disappearance and killing of Vanessa Guillén, a U.S. Army specialist stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, in 2020 shook the nation and led to widescale changes in how the military protects victims of sexual violence.
On Saturday, a state highway in her hometown, Houston, will be named after the Mexican American soldier, part of a series of commemorations to honor her legacy.
Family and officials gathered on State Highway 3 in Harris County, between the intersections of Interstate Highway 45 and Almeda Genoa Road, to mark the naming of the Vanessa Guillén Memorial Highway.
This year, lawmakers passed the I Am Vanessa Guillén Act, which aims to protect victims of sexual violence in the military.
State lawmakers approved a bill to make Sept. 30, Guillén’s birthday, “Vanessa Guillén Day."