Community Corner
Stretch of Route 121 Dedicated As John Jay HS Veterans Memorial Hwy
Lawmakers proposed legislation in July 2023 to rename the highway in front of John Jay H.S. in honor of six alumni who died in service.
![State Sen. Harckham with (l-r) Grant Vialardi, Assemblymember Chris Burdick, Lewisboro Veterans Advisory Committee Chair John Lemke and Lewisboro Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves.](https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/24856073/20240528/124729/styles/patch_image/public/2024-05-28-at-124509-pm___28124548951.png)
CROSS RIVER, NY — Memorial Day weekend was a fitting time to officially rename a stretch of highway in honor of those who paid the ultimate price in service to their country and their neighbors in a tight-knit Westchester community
NYS Senator Pete Harckham and Assemblymember Chris Burdick, along with local officials and veterans' advocates, on Saturday, officially dedicated a section of Route 121 in Lewisboro as the "John Jay High School Veterans Memorial Highway" at a special ceremony on the front lawn of John Jay High School. Joining the ceremony were first responders from around Lewisboro, community members and Boy Scouts in uniform.
Harckham and Burdick introduced legislation in July of last year to rename the highway in front of John Jay High School in honor of the six veterans who were alumni and died in service. Governor Hochul signed the legislation into law this past November. The legislation also calls for the NYS Department of Transportation to install and maintain adequate signage about the designation.
Find out what's happening in Bedford-Katonahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The Route 121 designation follows the efforts of recent John Jay HS alumnus Grant Vialardi and John Lemke, chair of the Lewisboro Veterans Advisory Committee, to erect a monument at John Jay HS commemorating the six fallen veterans.
Four of the John Jay High School alumni died in service during the Vietnam War:
Find out what's happening in Bedford-Katonahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Pfc. Kenneth Richard Jaconetti
- Lt. Cmdr. George Russell Matthews
- Pfc. Philip Grant Chipchase
- Lance Cpl. Howard J. Alaimo.
Two other alumni died in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing:
- Cpl. James J. Jackwoski
- Cpl. Bert D. Corcoran.
"It is very appropriate to have the road in front of John Jay High School dedicated to these fallen heroes," Lemke said. "It’s important that the current John Jay students are aware of what these former students have sacrificed for their freedom."
At Saturday’s ceremony, Lemke told the crowd that a seventh John Jay High School alumnus had been discovered recently to have died in service: Pfc. Anthony Joseph Pettignano in 1990 during Operation Just Cause in Panama. His name will be added to the Roll of Honor.
"This community-wide effort, spurred by Grant Vialardi and John Lemke, to ensure that these individuals will always be remembered is a profound and touching reminder of the sacrifices that members of our armed services and their families and loved ones make," Harckham said. "It is important to commemorate the valor and heroism of our veterans, knowing that their courage and deeds stand as an abiding example for us all."
Those sacrifices will not soon be forgotten by those who visit these fallen heroes' alma mater.
"We can never fully express our gratitude to the John Jay High School alumni who died in service to our country, but with the renaming of this road, we will ensure their memories are never forgotten," Burdick said. "My thanks to Grant Vialardi and the Lewisboro Veterans Advisory Committee for their inspiration and assistance in making this a reality."
There are two new signs nearby designating the section of Route 121, beginning at the intersection of Route 35 Old Post Road and ending at the intersection Gideon Reynolds Road, as the "John Jay High School Veterans Memorial Highway."
"I am so proud of the work of the Lewisboro Veterans Advisory Committee, its chair John Lemke, Grant Vialardi, and all those who have supported the Committee," Lewisboro Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves said. "Let these signs be a reminder to all who drive this road of the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform in defending our freedoms in our country and around the world."
In November of 2022, the Katonah-Lewisboro School District approved the installation of a veterans' memorial at John Jay HS to honor alumni who had died during their armed forces service. Vialardi, then a senior at John Jay (and an intern in Assemblymember Burdick’s office), first proposed the memorial in conjunction with the Lewisboro Veterans Advisory Committee as part of what he called "Project Honor." Along with the memorial project was Vialardi’s request to rename the portion of Route 121.
On Veterans Day 2022, the veterans' memorial was unveiled at the base of the flagpole outside Lewisboro Town House.
"I am incredibly proud of what Project Honor has accomplished and have been touched by the support our community has shown to it," Vialardi said. "I hope that this project serves as an example for others that, with enough hard work, anyone can make the change they want to see in the world. I’d again like to thank all everyone involved for all of the time they dedicated to this project and would encourage everyone in our community to do their part in honoring those who have sacrificed so that we may enjoy our freedom.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.