East Aurora Advertiser

State Installs Signs at Local Park Honoring Veteran



Through the work of a Town of Wales resident, signs have been installed along local highways that direct people to a local Erie County park named in honor of a former resident who was killed while serving in the military. 

The New York State Department of Transportation has placed signs that direct people to the Sgt. Mark A. Rademacher Memorial Park, often called Hunters Creek, along Routes 400, 20A and 78. These are similar to what was done to tell motorists how to get to Knox Farm State Park several years ago. 

An unveiling was held at the park on June 23, with state officials, members of Rademacher’s family and other Town of Wales residents. State Senator Patrick Gallivan said that his office received a call from Dori Carlone, asking about having the signs in place to both better show people where the park is located and to honor Rademacher. 

State Senator Patrick Gallivan, left, and the Rademacher family unveil the new highway signs that will direct people to the Sergeant Mark A. Rademacher Memorial Park in Wales. Photo by Adam Zaremski

“We would be remiss if we didn’t remember Mark and the sacrifice he made so we could be here on this beautiful day,” Gallivan said. 

Rademacher was born on June 7, 1963, the youngest of 10 children. He joined the U.S. Army in September of 1981 and graduated from Ranger school the following year. He was promoted to sergeant three weeks before his death. 

Rademacher was part of the Oct. 25, 1983 invasion into Grenada, assigned to the first battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, which conducted a parachute drop on the island early in the morning that day. He and seven other soldiers were killed that first day of battle. He was 20 years old. 

“He gave up all his tomorrows so we could have today,” Carlone said. 

Siblings of Mark Rademacher gather to unveil new highway signs that will direct people to the park named in his honor. Photo by Adam Zaremski

According to Erie County, the park was purchased in the early 1970s, and in 1983, “the Erie County Legislature voted unanimously to approve a resolution to rename Hunters Creek Park to Sgt. Mark A. Rademacher Memorial Park, although the park was not formally recognized by this name until 2012.” One of Rademacher’s siblings noted that Rademacher would often visit the park when he started to train for the military.

After hearing from Carlone, Gallivan said it made sense to have the signs in place and started working with Francis Cirillo, the regional director for the state Department of Transportation. On the day of the unveiling, the various signs on the highways were installed and covered with a banner until after the announcement. 

The 760-acre park is only open from 7 a.m. until dusk. People use it for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. There are two park entrances, one on Centerline Road and another on Hunters Creek Road, near Route 78.

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