Deer Park Ave. To Be Renamed For Fallen Iraq War Soldier

A portion of Deer Park Avenue in North Babylon will be renamed in honor of a fallen soldier and Babylon High School alum this November.

Private Specialist Jacob S. Fletcher, a Babylon Village resident, was killed by a roadside bomb on November 14th, 2003 at the age of 29 in Samarra, Iraq after joining the United States Army following the terrorist attacks on the nation on September 11th, 2001.

The Suffolk County Legislature unanimously passed a resolution to rename Deer Park Avenue from the Route 231 intersection in North Babylon to the intersection of Village Line Road in Babylon Village in honor of the soldier. The roadway, which will be dedicated in a ceremony on November 14th, will be named "Specialist Jacob S. Fletcher Avenue.

“It is my honor to sponsor this legislation naming a portion of County Road 34 in Babylon in loving memory of a true American hero,” Legislator Steve Stern (D-Huntington) said in a statement. “Jacob answered the call of duty and in the most dangerous conditions and through the most challenging circumstances, thought not only of his duty to country but of his fellow servicemen and women."

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Leg. Wayne Horsley (D–Lindenhurst), a Babylon resident himself, said Fletcher "will always be remembered for his response to the horrific actions taken against our country on 9/11. Enlisting in the service at the age of 27 shows a resolve that is rare and a certain quality and sense of duty that is unsurpassed."

He added: "For these reasons and others, Specialist Fletcher should always be recognized for his call to service and sacrifice for his country.” 

“Private Specialist Jacob S. Fletcher bravely served our country, making the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of all Americans," said Legislator Lou D'Amaro. "By renaming this street in his honor, we thank him for his service and ensure that he will always be remembered."

Following Fletcher's passing in 2003, his mother Dorine Kenney continued Fletcher's wish for care packages and support letters to be sent to servicemen and women who did not have family support. She founded Jacob's Light Foundation, which has sent more than 500,000 pounds of supplies. The foundation is based out of Ronkonkama.

“I am very grateful that Legislator Stern continues to remember my son Jacob,” said Kenney. “He has supported my son’s foundation from the beginning and it means so much to me to have a street named for Jacob to keep his memory alive.”