On Tuesday, December 12, Assemblyman Josh Jensen (R,C-Greece) held a ceremony to celebrate the completed road sign installation in honor of Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Gary Beikirch, of Greece, with his family, friends, church members and community residents. Jensen introduced a bill, along with Senator Jeremy Cooney, to recognize State Route 18 (Latta Road) between Long Pond Road and State Route 390 as the “Sergeant Gary Beikirch Memorial Highway” (A.10110/S.9028).
The ceremony was held to celebrate the installation of the road signs in Sgt. Beikirch’s honor and recognize the lasting impact he had on his community.
“Sgt. Gary Beikirch is a true American hero whose valor and bravery in battle earned him the Medal of Honor, yet his service to others continued as he dedicated his life to giving back to the community he loved. Memorializing a portion of Latta Road, in the heart of the Town of Greece where he called home, is a testament to the lifelong impact he made on countless members of our community,” said Jensen. “Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebration of Sgt. Beikirch and the positive legacy he left behind.”
“It was an honor to be a part of dedicating the Sergeant Gary Beikirch Memorial Highway. Given his years of service, and countless lives touched, it is only fitting that a portion of Route 18 be named in Gary’s honor and I am proud to have sponsored that legislation. Through this small gesture of gratitude, Gary’s memory will be kept alive and he will continue to inspire the next generation,” said Senator Jeremy Cooney.
“On behalf of my mother and the entire Beikirch family, I would like to thank State Sen. Jeremy Cooney and Assemblyman Josh Jensen for all their work that went into sponsoring this and Gov. Kathy Hochul for signing it into legislation. From the moment Josh told us about this highway being named for my father I knew it would be both special and personal because of the close proximity to our family home and the Greece school where he touched students’ lives as a counselor. My father’s entire life was one of integrity, sacrifice and honor, not to himself but to the Glory of God and of His love and faithfulness. Many say, when you met my father you felt God and because of that there is no remembrance of him or seeing his name that people don’t feel that inside. Now, driving down Latta Road and seeing the name Sergeant Gary Beikirch will continue to be a source of peace and comfort for all that knew him. My prayer for future generations and those that didn’t have the privilege of knowing him is that seeing these signs raises a curiosity to find out who this man was and what he lived for, and in that my father’s legacy of living a life of significance will live on,” said Stephanie Beikirch, daughter.
This commemorates Jensen’s third initiative in honoring the local heroes who sacrificed their lives. The first initiative involved dedicating a stretch of State Route 259 in the town of Parma, extending from Lake Ontario State Parkway to Dunbar Road, as the Specialist Jason Hasenauer Memorial Highway (A8535A). The second initiative was the Firefighter Robert Fowler Memorial Highway bill (A8534), which designated a section of South Union Street in the village of Spencerport between Lyell Avenue and Nichols Street.
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