Signs unveiled naming Route 31A in Albion for Specialist Jason Johnston

Soldier from Albion only one from Orleans County killed in combat in war in Afghanistan

Photos by Tom Rivers: The state Department of Transportation installed signs on Route 31A near Powerline Road and the Route 98 intersection naming that section of 31A in honor of Specialist Jason Johnston, who was killed in Afghanistan on Dec. 26, 2009.

Jason Johnston was a specialist and paratrooper with the Army.

ALBION – Two signs on Route 31A were unveiled today naming the section of 31A in Albion in honor of Specialist Jason Johnston, who is the only solider from Orleans County killed in combat during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Johnston was 24 when he was killed by a roadside bomb in Arghandab, Afghanistan. Johnston was a specialist and paratrooper in the Army.

He was on his second tour in Afghanistan. He completed a 13-month-deployment in 2008 and left again for the war-torn country in October 2009.

His parents, Brad and Jenny Johnston, said they appreciated the community’s ongoing support for their son.

“It’s every parent’s worry that their children will be forgotten,” Jenny Johnston said.

The signs, declaring “Highway Dedicated To Specialist Jason Johnston,” ensure that her son will stay prominently recognized in the community.

State Assemblyman Steve Hawley, left, and State Sen. Rob Ortt speak to a group from the Johnson family, the American Legion in Albion and friends of the family before unveiling the sign on Route 31A in Albion, just east of Route 98. Ortt served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from March 2008 until December 2008.

Brad Johnston said he has been trying for more than 14 years to have the a highway named in honor of his son, who would turn 40 years old on Dec. 10.

Brad is retired from a career with the State Department of Corrections. He was speaking about a year ago with John Fitzak, a retired corrections officer and current county legislator, about naming a road in honor of Jason.

Fitzak led the effort to get local government support for naming the highway, including a resolution of support from the County Legislature last January. It was sent to the local state legislators. State Assemblyman Steve Hawley and State Sen. Rob Ortt were able to get the legislation passed by the Assembly and Senate, with Gov. Kathy Hochul signing off on the bill.

County Legislator John Fitzak presents a citation from the County Legislature in support of naming the highway for Jason Johnston. Jason’s parents, Brad and Jenny, and his sister Heather are at right. Jason has two other sisters, Carrie and Holly, and many nieces and nephews.

There also are memorials for Johnston at the Elks Lodge, American Legion in Albion and Albion Town Hall, and a $1,000 scholarship is given each year to a graduating senior pursuing a helping profession.

Mr. Johnston said he is grateful the community continues to remember and honor his son.

“Since Vietnam, he is Orleans County’s only solider killed in battle,” Brad Johnston said. “I think it’s phenomenal. It still shows the support he has when they brought him home. It was people lined up in a snowstorm. This means an awful lot to all of us.”

Sheriff Chris Bourke attended the sign unveiling. Jenny Johnson hugs a friend after the sign was unveiled.

Legion Commander Brad Rouse leads the group in a prayer after the sign covering was removed.

Everett Jubenville, up high, and Mike Blue from the DOT’s sign crew installed the two signs on Route 31A in Albion for Jason Johnston.