Chapter 865 Participates in Highway Dedication

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 865 presented the colors, played taps and fired a 21-gun salute at a recent ceremony dedicating the Sgt. James “J.C.” Matteson Memorial Highway on Route 394 in New York.

Led by state Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R-Jamestown), the event featured guest speakers Frank Cirillo, of the state Department of Transportation; Gregory Carlson, Chautauqua County Veterans Services director; Susan Rowley, president of the New York Chapter Blue Star Mothers; and Holly Baker, Department of New York America Gold Star Mothers president.

Matteson, a Celoron native, was killed at the age of 23 while serving in the U.S. Army as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The permanent sign, located in Ellicott, is intended to honor his service and sacrifice. “He was the type of person from high school on we knew he would make a difference for our community and our nation,” Goodell said.

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