CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — Neil Bateman was the kind of guy who would stand up to bullies.
"I'm very proud of the person he was," said his brother Glenn Bateman.
That's why it was no surprise to his brother Glenn Bateman that the 19-year-old enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War, after graduating from Maryvale High School. A year later, Neil Bateman was killed while saving an entire platoon.
He earned several medals, but it was a loss for the entire community, especially at Maryvale Schools.
"They canceled classes so kids and the teachers could attend the funeral," Glenn Bateman said.
Then Glenn Bateman got the idea from a family friend to bring a veterans park at "Nob Hill Park" and rename it "Neil E. Bateman Veterans Memorial Park." Glenn Bateman brought the idea to the Cheektowaga Town Council and Town Supervisor Diane Benczkowski.
"Her big objection — and she felt that the objection for the other town council members — were not putting the of one individual on a park because there's a lot of veterans," Glenn Bateman said.
Benczkowski says she's gotten phone calls from veterans family members about it and the board is trying to be fair to everyone. The Cheektowaga Town Council's agenda for Tuesday night shows all seven members are backing a resolution to change the name to the "Veterans Park at Knob Hill" instead.
Glenn Bateman says putting Neil's name wouldn't be a disservice to other veterans though.
"Naming it the Neil E. Bateman Veterans Memorial Park encompasses all veterans and honors all veterans," Glenn Bateman said.
Community members have even donated over $4,100 to a GoFundMe Glenn Bateman set up for the name, though Benczkowski tells 2 On Your Side's Danielle Church the town hasn't seen that money yet.
She says Assemblymember Monica Wallace is trying to get $25,000 from the state for the veterans park.
The board also changed Colonial Drive to "Neil E. Bateman Drive" last July.
They're expected to make a decision on the park's new name Tuesday at 8 p.m.