Name of deceased Brentwood war veteran and firefighter attached to street slat

Marcos Ledesma died in a car accident two years ago Tuesday, but his name and what he stands for – one man’s service and sacrifice for others – remain dear in Brentwood.

His numerous relatives and friends gathered Tuesday afternoon on a street corner in Brentwood, where “FF Marcos Ledesma Way” now hangs above a street sign on Evergreen Avenue, a poster honoring the firefighter and Iraq War veteran from his hometown.

“He was a great friend to all of us, he was a patriot, a gentle soul and just an amazing human being,” said Frank Vasquez, deputy chief of the East Brentwood Fire Department, where Ledesma worked as a volunteer.

Ledesma, 31, deployed to Iraq in 2010 and served in the U.S. Army for just over five years. Back problems ended his military career, said Ledesma’s mother, Elsa Ledesma. He found his way home, where he continued his service as a firefighter.

“His commitment not only to the people of Brentwood but to the people of the United States was just incredible,” Vasquez said at a news conference at the corner of Evergreen Avenue and Fulton Street.

In the crowd of nearly 40 people, firefighters in their blue dress uniforms stood at attention as East Brentwood Fire Chief Bryant Figueroa pulled down a cover and revealed the sign.

Elsa Ledesma, 70, described her son as a positive force in the community and “an inspiration to me.”

Days before he died in the accident, her friend’s grandfather needed help moving, she said. Marcos reached out, his mother said.

As a mother, she added: “I was very happy that he followed his own path and was not interested in money because it comes from his heart.”

According to New York State Police, Ledesma was driving west on the Southern State Parkway in Bay Shore at an unsafe speed early in the morning of July 9, 2022, when he crashed a 2016 Subaru near Exit 41.

State police arrived at 5:41 a.m. and found the Subaru lying on its side in a wooded area off the highway. Ledesma was in the driver’s seat with fatal injuries.

For the residents of Brentwood and everyone else in the Evergreen Avenue and Fulton Street area, “Every time we pass through here, he will always live on in our hearts, in our minds and in our souls,” Islip City Councilman Jorge Guadrón said at the ceremony.

Ledesma’s mother said, “My son was always proud of the community because he enjoyed helping the people who live here.”