Local D-Day veterans honored

AUBURN -- Tony DeTomaso celebrated his 20th birthday in a ditch in France while serving with the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion. Next week, he'll be celebrating his 84th birthday in Auburn, which now has a street that officially bears the name of that company.

DeTomaso and fellow 299th member Dominick DeBenedetto were both present Friday during a ceremony commemorating the battalion's role in the Allied invasion at Normandy during World War II.

During the event, state and local officials announced that a portion of Genesee Street in Auburn would be named after the group to honor the six Auburn residents who fought in the battle. The 299th Engineer Combat Battalion Memorial Highway will run from the Market Street Park to Veterans Memorial Park at James Street.