S7607C

The New York State Senate passed legislation designating a portion of Route 19 in LeRoy, Genesee County, as the Lieutenant Gary A. Scott Memorial Highway, honoring the life and sacrifice of the Vietnam War hero. The bill (S7607C, Calendar 780) passed 59-1 on a roll call vote, with only Sen. Brisport voting in opposition. Sen. Borrello, the bill's sponsor, explained that Scott was a LeRoy High School graduate and distinguished ROTC cadet who deliberately chose to serve in combat infantry with the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War to increase African-American representation in military leadership roles. On March 29, 1968, the 22-year-old first lieutenant was killed during an ambush while attempting to save members of his platoon pinned down by enemy fire, ultimately shielding a medic with his own body. Scott was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his heroism. His legacy has been preserved through a scholarship established in his name at LeRoy Central School since 1969, and his final letters home from Vietnam were featured in the acclaimed documentary 'Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam,' narrated by Robert DeNiro, Martin Sheen, and Robin Williams. The proposal received strong community support.