LAKEWOOD – A portion of Route 394 in the Village of Lakewood was dedicated in honor of a local Marine Corporal killed by a roadside bomb in 2011 on Friday.
Assemblyman Andy Goodell was joined by several state and local officials to dedicate the highway as the “Lance Corporal Aaron M. Swanson Memorial Highway” at the Lakewood American Legion.
A native of Lakewood, Corporal Swanson was a member of the Marine Corps Forces Reserve.
The war hero was tragically killed in action on February 7, 2011 by a roadside bomb during combat operations in Afghanistan.
“Lance Cpl. Swanson was one of our community’s finest; a young man whose life exemplified commitment — to his faith, family and country,” said Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello. “While eight years later we still mourn the loss of one of our own, the best way we can honor him is by remembering his sacrifice and vowing to never take for granted, the treasured liberties he died defending.”
“The ‘Lance Corporal Aaron M. Swanson Memorial Highway’ is a sign of our resolve to remember and appreciate the contributions of this brave soldier, today and always.”
Born on August 10, 1989 and raised in Lakewood. Swanson was a 2007 graduate of Southwestern High School where he ran track and played football.
Swanson was also an active member of Boy Scout Troop 131 through middle and high school, an experience that shaped his values and cultivated skills that would later serve him well in the Marines.
A student at Jamestown Community College when he enlisted in the Marine Corps Forces Reserve in May 2009, Swanson was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, India Company based in Buffalo.
Swanson was deployed to Afghanistan in August 2010 for a seven-month tour.
After his tour, he was planning to resume college with eye towards an eventual career as a state trooper. Swanson was just weeks from the end of his deployment when, tragically, his life was cut short.
While serving in active duty, Cpl. Swanson received several awards and decorations including the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal and the NATO Medal – International Security Assistance Force Afghanistan.
Cpl. Swanson’s final resting place is in Soldier’s Circle at Jamestown’s Lake View Cemetery, next to fellow American heroes.
WNYNewsNow’s A.D. Simko contributed to this report.
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