NC hosts Vietnam War Memorial replica
This November marks the 30-year anniversary of the dedication of the national monument, the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. On the memorial, 58,195 names of this nation’s military service members who fought in the Vietnam War and who lost their lives in service are inscribed. This includes soldiers who are still Missing In Action (MIA). April 30 marked 37 years since the recorded end of the Vietnam War.
Last week, on Thursday, Aug. 2 a scaled-down replica of the national monument was presented to the public for a temporary display at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. Dozens of service members and their families gathered for the opening ceremonies, which included a keynote speech from New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
“Across our country, our memorials help us to honor the deceased, to educate the public and reflect the events that have defined our lives and shaped this nation’s history,” said Kelly.
Kelly served 12 months in combat as a first lieutenant in the Vietnam War. After returning to the United States, Kelly joined the Marine reserves and retired after 30 years as a Marine Corps colonel.
He said of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, “We owe it to them and their loved ones to remember; we owe it to them to tell the story of how and why they gave their lives; we owe it to them that we honor the ideal to which they lived.”
Paul Masi, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 82 of Nassau County recalled his service in Vietnam, and being assigned to “7th Engineers,” one of the first combat engineer battalions to enter Vietnam during the war. After his tour in Vietnam, he was assigned back to the First Marine Corps Division in Garden City.
Masi told a story about a friend and school classmate, Robert Zwerlein, of Port Washington. “Robert is on the wall; he was assigned to the crew of USS Forrestal; he was killed in that tragedy along with almost another 140 officers and sailors.” Because Masi was deployed to Vietnam, he said he did not initially know of Zwerlein’s death. The Forrestal fire in Tonkin Gulf in 1967 has been called the worst aircraft carrier fire since WWII.
“To the Vietnam veteran, the wall represents healing, as well as good times and bad times,” Bob Kohler of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) said. “It reminds us of the innocence of our youth that was taken away from us in a foreign land, of lives lost in a political war where those that sent us to war did not provide the support needed for the job that they asked us to do.” Kohler reflected that the names on the wall might represent someone’s father or brother, someone’s friend or someone who he might have “shared a warm beer with once.” Kohler reminded those in attendance that more than 1,700 service members remain missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War era.
Kohler told his fellow veterans in attendance, “Remember, we are bonded to them [the war dead] as brothers, just as we are to each other because of our service, our loyalty and commitment and no one can take that from us.”
The Marine Corps First Division of Garden City led the color guard ceremony, while service members from all branches provided unit color guard. Past National President of the Gold Star Mothers of America, Dorothy Oxendine placed a ceremonial wreath at the wall, along with Commissioner Kelly, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, and the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 82 representatives.
Winthrop Hospital also provided a sponsorship for the traveling tribute. Garry Schwall, a veteran and a son of a WWII veteran, spoke on behalf of Winthrop, sharing the honor of being able to give Long Islanders a chance to see the memorial, especially for those who would never be able to make the pilgrimage to Washington to see the original memorial.
“Their service to our nation can never properly be repaid but today we reflect on what our veterans have done for our nation and we acknowledge the bonds that tie us to the men and women who serve voluntarily today, and to those who have served,” Mangano said. “I am so honored that so many came together to make certain that today was a respectful, dignified day, and to make certain that this wall was presented properly,” Mangano added.
On Aug. 1, the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall arrived at Mitchel Athletic Complex from being on display in Mexico, NY, a town north of Syracuse, and was escorted to Eisenhower Park in East Meadow by veterans, military and county officials, builders, and motorcycle riders.
The Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall is the largest traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall and is the centerpiece of the American Veterans Traveling Tribute’s (AVTT) “Cost of Freedom” tribute program. Carpenters Local Union 7 constructed the wall. Closing ceremonies for the traveling memorial were held on Sunday, Aug. 5.
The memorial in the nation’s capital consists of three separate parts: the Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. It is located in Constitution Gardens adjacent to the National Mall, northeast of the Lincoln Memorial. The original memorial, designed by Maya Lin, hosts approximately three million visitors each year.
In Washington this November, groundbreaking will begin for “The Education Center,” a place where the service members’ stories and sacrifice will never be forgotten. The Education Center is a multi-million dollar, state-of- the-art visitors’ center and learning facility that will be built on the grounds of the Vietnam Veterans and Lincoln Memorials.
Masi said, “The Education Center will honor, with photos, to put a face to every name on the wall.” He thanked all veterans for their service, “For putting yourselves in harm’s way; it’s hard to imagine the scope of that, in today’s day and age with everything instant on TV, I thank you as a Vietnam veteran and the son of a World War II veteran.”
Three hundred and thirty four service members from Nassau County are listed on the war memorial.
Nassasu County veterans are listed by last name, panel—row, service branch, and home of record (home of record is not necessarily birthplace or residence):
Abruzzesa, Michael John Jr, 45W—59, Army, Valley Stream; Agugliaro, Matthew John, 32E—56, Army, West Hempstead; Alberici, Michael, 47W—59, Marine Corps, Floral Park; Aldrich, Robert Henry, 02W—132, Marine Corps, Port Washington; Allen, Channing Jr, 15E—38, Army, Albertson; Anderson, Peter Newell, 31E—8, Army, Uniondale; Anderson, Steven Richard, 40E—20, Army, Levittown; Andrysiak, Francis Howard, 34E—13, Army, Glen Head; Arnett, Francis Ienatius, 39E—16, Army, Sea Cliff; Avolese, Paul Andrew, 23E—25, Air Force, East Meadow; Barber, Christopher James, 54E—42, Marine Corps, Farmingdale; Barbera, Peter, 15E—13, Army, Laurel Hollow; Barry, Edward Francis, 32W—36, Army, Wantagh; Bausch, Barry Ralph, 25W—60, Army, Elmont; Becker, William John, 14W—16, Marine Corps, Lakeview; Bennett, Clifford Raymond, 35E—65, Marine Corps, Westbury; Benvenuto, Theodore F Jr, 19W—8, Army, Uniondale; Bigelow, Lawrence Carroll, 12W—95, Army, Lakeview; Bivetto, Charles Fred, 17E—83, Army, Elmont; Bloemhard, Anton D, 41E—6, Army, Great Neck; Boardman, Davis James, 36E—48, Army, Port Washington; Bolson, James Joseph, 37W—28, Army, Plainview; Bonventre, Thomas S, 21W—58, Army, Elmont; Brezinski, Charles Anthony, 34W—82, Marine Corps, Oyster Bay; Britton, Thomas Wesley Jr, 07E—116, Marine Corps, Great Neck; Broullon, Anthony Joseph, 18W—58, Army, Hempstead; Brown, Richard, 21E—3, Marine Corps, Rockville Centre; Bruno, Edward, 20W—106, Marine Corps, Long Beach; Buckley, Robert Walter, 24W—58, Army, Uniondale; Bukovinsky, Andrew Thomas, 42W—15, Marine Corps, Manhasset; Burke, John Joseph, 37E—30, Marine Corps, New Hyde Park; Burns, Frederick John, 32E—56, Marine Corps, Merrick; Buscemi, Anthony Peter, 35W—11, Army, Bellerose; Cafiero, Lester Vincent Jr, 13W—115, Army, West Hempstead; Cain, Robert Emmet, 10W—68, Army, Levittown; Canamare, George Joseph, 33W—83, Army, Cedarhurst; Canan, Harold Jeffrey, 26E—70, Army, Oceanside; Carlin, Stephen Bernard, 35W—58, Army, Oceanside; Carpenter, George Whitney, 15E—54, Marine Corps, Cedarhurst; Carroll, Kevin James, 15E—19, Marine Corps, East Meadow; Casey, Paul William, 19E—125, Army, Merrick; Casey, Thomas Jerome Jr, 32W—42, Army, Wantagh; Cassidy, Donald Thomas, 12E—16, Army, Bellerose; Chimeri, Louis, 55E—6, Marine Corps, Island Park; Chomyk, William, 51E—29, Air Force, Hicksville; Cicio, Robert Daniel, 50E—12, Marine Corps, Farmingdale; Clemens, Roger O, 43W—34, Air Force, Rockville Centre; Coates, Paul James, 63W—15, Marine Corps, Merrick; Cockerl, James Calvin, 24W—52, Marine Corps, Lynbrook; Cohen, Gerald, 51E—17, Army, Levittown; Cole, Richard Milton Jr, 01W—44, Air Force, Uniondale; Colorio, Joseph, 19W—11, Marine Corps, Massapequa; Colwell, William Kevin, 04E—36, Air Force, Glen Cove; Coulon, John Gerard Jr, 44W—22, Army, Hempstead; Cramer, Parker Dresser, 01E—22, Army, Wantagh; Crandall, Wayne Stephens, 36W—49, Army, Farmingdale; Crudo, Richard Frank, 21W—44, Marine Corps, East Meadow; D’Ambra, Joseph Nick, 57E—18, Army, Franklin Square; Daly, James Joseph, 07W—69, Army, Farmingdale; De Luca, Thomas Steven Jr, 27W—24, Army, Mineola; Deblasio, Raymond Vince Jr, 03W—80, Navy, West Hempstead; Delaplaine, Donald Lynn, 03W—92, Army, Bayville; Devlin, Joseph William, 13W—96, Marine Corps, Merrick; DiDomizio, John, 25E—97, Marine Corps, New Hyde Park; Diamond, Stephen Whitman, 09E—38, Air Force, Roslyn Heights; Dice, Carl Richard, 15W—39, Air Force, Sea Cliff; Dilger, Herbert Hugh, 17W—25, Navy, Valley Stream; Diliberto, Kim Michael, 19W—53, Army, Massapequa; Donlon, Michael Patrick, 08E—10, Army, Lynbrook; Doody, Albert Charles, 10E—79, Marine Corps, Franklin Square; Dowd, Thomas Brown, 15E—127, Marine Corps, Manhasset; Dry, Melvin Spence, 01W—38, Navy, Kings Point; Dugan, John Frederick, 20E—113, Marine Corps, Merrick ; Edelman, Irwin Leon, 32W—54, Army, Sea Cliff; Eisert, Harold Bernard Jr , 14W—17, Army, Lawrence; Eliot, Bruce Jr, 42E—30, Army, Manhasset; Ellison, Greg Benson, 34W—23, Army, Bellmore; England, Gary Lloyd, 31E—40, Marine Corps, Greenvale; Enners, Raymond James, 43W—26, Army, Farmingdale; Esposito, Frank Carl, 16E—58, Army, Bellerose; Esposito, William, 22E—30, Army, Malverne; Evans, John Harper Jr, 08W—90, Air Force, Hempstead; Ewing, Arthur Richard, 27E—19, Army, Roosevelt; Faccio, Robert Daniel, 41W—52, Army, Uniondale; Farinaro, Guido, 50W—37, Marine Corps, Bethpage; Fauser, Russell Jay Jr, 39E—46, Marine Corps, Long Beach; Ferguson, Richard Harold, 57W—17, Army, Port Washington; Fernandez, Gary Dennis, 33E—77, Army, Levittown; Ferrara, Michael John, 43E—18, Marine Corps, Massapequa; Ferrazzano, John Raymond, 41W—69 , Marine Corps, New Hyde Park; Ferril, John Henry, 23E—25, Marine Corps, Rockville Centre; Fetner, Harold Everett, 20E—58, Army, East Meadow; Finnegan, John Joseph, 21E—4, Army, New Hyde Park; Finnegan, Robert Michael, 36E— 7, Army, Garden City; Florio, Roland Louie, 48W—17, Army, Massapequa; Foran, Patrick Joseph, 14E—128, Army, Westbury; Frese, Steven Robert, 44W—24, Army, Wantagh; Gabrys, Stephen Michael, 26W—79, Army, Bellerose; Gallagher, Gerald Thomas, 38E—67, Army, West Hempstead; Gallagher, Michael Joseph, 28E—23, Army, New Hyde Park; Gallagher, Patrick, 17E—71, Marine Corps, Lynbrook; Garcia, Edward Marc, 02W—7, Army, Westbury; Geddes, Kerry Richard, 34E—68, Army, Levittown; Geoghegan, Peter Daniel, 08E—30, Army, Mineola; Gershnow, Steven Andrew, 51W—4, Army, Woodmere; Gerstel, Howard Martin, 27E—48, Army, Hewlett; Gerstenlauer, Peter F, 35W—64, Air Force, North Merrick; Giannelli, Alan Robert, 44W—56, Army, Massapequa; Gideon, Richard Edward, 36E—72, Army, Valley Stream; Gilbert, Patrick Joseph, 12E—95, Army, Mineola; Giretti, Anthony Alfred, 29W—77, Marine Corps, Baldwin; Gladding, Daniel George, 57E—22, Army, Seaford; Glassey, John Girard, 27W—87, Army, East Meadow; Glenn, Edward Francis Jr, 08W—49, Army, Levittown; Glidden, Arthur, 12E—47, Army, Baldwin; Grabow, Otto Charles, 20E—28, Marine Corps, Bethpage; Graham, Armand Roy, 13E—83, Army, Long Beach; Grande, Robert Joseph; 32E—17, Army, Roslyn; Grant, Kellum Warren, 54E—34, Army, Levittown; Graver, Raymond Charles Jr, 12W—97, Army, Wantagh; Gray, Thomas Alan, 15E—58, Army, Massapequa; Grayson, Joe Edward, 35W—65, Army, Roosevelt; Grompone, James John, 35W—42, Army, Greenvale; Harper, Richard Walker, 36E—12, Army, Baldwin; Harrington, James A Jr, 46E—55, Army, Locust Valley; Harrison, Johnny, 07E—71, Army, Hempstead; Harrison, Robert Heerman, 01W—44, Air Force, Massapequa Park; Hasenflug, James Michael, 16W—52, Marine Corps, Bethpage; Heissenbuttel, Peter Herma, 36E—74, Army, Baldwin; Henaghan, William Frederic, 01W—18, Army, Bethpage; Henson, Frank Theodore, 01W—18, Army, Massapequa; Hoare, Thomas Joseph Jr, 34E—68, Marine Corps, Bellerose; Hollenbach, Donald Walter, 30E—63, Army, Levittown; Hominick, Howard Hugh, 52E—30, Army, Carle Place; Hueffner, Richard Alan, 40E—75, Marine Corps, Oceanside; Huestis, Roger Edward, 31E—92, Navy, North Merrick; Huey, Donald Raymond, 07W—53, Army, Farmingdale; Hufschmid, Robert George, 39W—8, Army, Hewlett; Inslee, Raymond Stephen, 12W—57, Army, Levittown; Jackowski, Dennis Eugene, 11W—7, Army, Inwood; Jackson, Thomas Peter Jr, 24W—67, Army, Westbury; Janoska, John Jay Jr, 14W—29, Army, Plainview; Jantzen, Leonard F, 17E—124, Army, Bethpage; Johns, Micky James, 10E—124, Marine Corps, Levittown; Johnson, Kenneth, 38W—82, Army, Levittown; Jones, Walter Chapman III, 48E—5, Marine Corps, Garden City; Jordan, Terence Patrick, 33E—70, Marine Corps, Wantagh; Jozefowski, Thomas Joseph, 01W—49, Air Force, Bayville; Juers, Roy James, 26E—60, Marine Corps, East Norwich; Karopczyc, Stephen Edward, 16E—69, Army, Bethpage; Kearse Julius Joey, 19E—60, Army, Inwood; Keepnews, John Arthur, 59W—23, Marine Corps Manhasset; Kelley, Bernard James, 01E—122, Army, Roslyn; Kendrick, James Michael, 16E—61, Army, Bellmore; King, Jon Marc, 06W—93, Air Force, Hempstead; Kisch, Robert Anthony, 24E—30, Marine Corps, Garden City; Kitson, John Francis, 20W—36, Marine Corps, Levittown; Klenert, William Blue, 11E—99, Navy, Bellmore; Klestinec, Albert F Jr, 09E—15, Marine Corps, Massapequa; Klingman, Ronald Arthur, 17W—50, Marine Corps, Levittown; Knecht, Adam Dyckman, 56E—26, Army, Oceanside; Koch, Lawrence George, 38W—67, Army, Merrick; Kozma, Carl Noel, 32W—79, Army, Hicksville; Kreuscher, Donald Edward, 29E—101, Army, Merrick; Krische, John Daniel, 28E—26, Army, West Hempstead; Kubinciak, Robert Joseph, 23E—29, Army, Massapequa; La Barbera, Richard F, 08E—87, Army, Freeport; Lapes, Donald Arthur, 20W—15, Army, Hempstead; Larkin, William Ronald, 33W—49, Marine Corps, Hempstead; Larue, Donald Edward Jr, 02W—17, Army, Hempstead; Lavery, Gregg Eugene, 45E—24, Marine Corps, Syosset; Leahy, Robert Michael, 59W—25, Marine Corps, Roosevelt; Leeser, Leonard Charles, 14W—75, Air Force, Floral Park; Lipton, Joseph Price, 19E—6, Marine Corps, Floral Park; Liszcz, Robert Stanley, 16E—93, Army, Hempstead; Lodge, Robert Alfred, 01W—19, Air Force, Lynbrook; Lovan, Peter John, 50W—51, Marine Corps, Elmont; Ludecker, Robert, 19E—62, Army, Baldwin; Lupo, Joseph Charles, 25E—47, Army, Massapequa; Lupoli, Albert Francis Jr, 54W—31, Army, Valley Stream; MacLean, Weston David, 09E—56, Marine Corps, Westbury; MacMillan, Gordon Alan, 22W—106, Army, East Meadow; Macedonio, Carmine Angelo, 06W—113, Army, Williston Park; Maiorana, Ronald Vincent, 30E—71, Marine Corps, Oceanside; Mancuso, Joseph Anthony, 20E—46, Army, North Bellmore; Mandarino, Joseph, 38E—6, Army, North Bellmore; Manners, Ralph William, 46W—31, Air Force, New Hyde Park; Mannina, Michael Carmelo, 39W—44, Army, Bellmore; Mansfield, William Granvil, 11E—126, Army, Massapequa Park; Marfurt, Richard Agust Jr, 15W—87, Army, Rockville Centre; Martinez, Israel Jr, 18W—11, Army, Great Neck; Mason, Harold Jr, 63W—9, Army, Hempstead; Matejov, Joseph Andrew, 01W—115, Air Force, East Meadow; Mazzone, Joseph Mark, 43W—64, Army, Hicksville; McCaffrey, Gerald William, 41E—41, Army, Bethpage; McCaffrey, James William, 33E—21, Army, Farmingdale; McCarthy, John Niles, 24W—97, Army, Glen Cove; McGovern, Kevin Bernard, 52W—19, Army, Freeport; McGrath, Daniel William, 20W—25, Army, Levittown; McInerney, Richard Nash, 16E—63, Army, Garden City; Mearns, Arthur Stewart, 12E—55, Air Force, Great Neck; Meehan, Raymond Patrick, 02E—29, Army, Rockville Centre; Meeker, Robert Irwin, 32W—55, Army, Woodmere; Meerholz, Charles J Jr, 51E—26, Army, Bellmore; Melahn, Peter T, 31E—81, Army, Woodmere; Melnick, Joel, 07E—44, Army, Merrick; Messenger, Kenneth Edward, 55E—23, Army, Wantagh; Miller, Donald John, 12E—129, Marine Corps, Farmingdale; Millett, Steven Lawrence, 21E—69, Marine Corps, Massapequa ; Minutoli, John Robert, 17E—112, Army, Bayville; Mitchell, Richard A, 08E—38, Army, Glen Head; Moinester, Robert William, 36E—25, Navy, Lynbrook; Molano, Charles Edward, 27E—82, Army, Wantagh; Molese, Dennis Patrick, 19E—121, Army, Freeport; Montague, William Joseph, 13W—2, Army, Valley Stream; Montone, Kenneth Michael, 26E—105, Marine Corps, Great Neck; Moody, Stephen True, 21W—47, Army, Malverne; Morano, Thomas Lawrence, 14W—116, Army, Freeport; Morgan, Michael Roy, 18E—125, Marine Corps, Bethpage; Morgan, William S II, 12E—35, Army, Farmingdale; Moriarty, Thomas William, 10W—126, Army, Elmont; Morrissey, Richard Thomas, 19W—71, Marine Corps, Uniondale; Morse, William Joseph, 54E—12, Army, Glen Cove; Mossman, Harry Seeber, 01W—68, Navy, Manhasset; Motto, Thomas Nicholas, 21W—54, Army, Mineola; Murphy, Edward Theodore, 20E—85, Marine Corps, Levittown; Murphy, Patrick James, 60E—26, Marine Corps, Levittown; Murray, Dennis Brian, 22W—34, Army, Glen Cove; Nelson, Richard William, 19W—64, Army, Valley Stream; Nicolini, Richard Domenic, 47E—35, Army, Elmont; Nix, Henry Lewis, 39W—56, Army, Westbury; Norris , Alin Emile, 03W—20, Army, Floral Park; Nuebel, William George Jr, 29E—101, Army, East Williston; O’Grady, John Francis, 18E—12, Air Force, New Hyde Park; O’Neill, James Raymond, 01E—18, Air Force, Levittown; Odierno, John William, 17E—11, Army, Farmingdale; Ohler, Frederick Richard, 49E—25, Army, Garden City; Owens, Walter Albert, 31E—30, Army, Uniondale; Pacio, George Henry, 06W—135, Air Force, Long Beach; Palazzola, Stephen Frank , 43E—29, Army, Levittown; Palenscar, Robert Joseph, 63E—19, Army, New Hyde Park; Parker, William Hill, 59W—11, Marine Corps, Rockville Centre; Parsons, Don Brown Jr, 10E—121, Navy, Freeport; Patterson, Richard Alan, 10W—36, Army, Levittown; Penfold, Peter Allan, 28E —29, Marine Corps, Oceanside; Peterson, Thomas Payne, 36W—86, Army, Seaford; Petraglia, Angelo Andrew, 36W—41, Army, Valley Stream; Petrillo, John James, 37E—66, Army, Farmingdale; Pfeifer, Ronald Edwin, 11E—53, Marine Corps, Bellerose; Piambino, Joseph Robert, 17E—23, Army, Bellmore; Piazza, Robert Gary, 48E —33, Marine Corps, Merrick; Pinder, John Joseph, 25E—71, Army, Bellerose; Pitt, Albert, 04E—85, Marine Corps, Hempstead; Pizzuto, Louis Edward, 14E—20, Army, Lynbrook; Plotkin, Martin Louis, 22E—1, Army, Lynbrook; Polchow, William Alfred, 35E—18, Marine Corps, Port Washington; Polizzi, Salvatore Frank, 23E—62, Army, Wantagh; Proscia, Richard Michael, 32E—4, Army, New Hyde Park; Pullen, Thomas Richard, 50W—39, Army, Oyster Bay; Rausch, Robert Ernest, 11W—14, Air Force, Hicksville; Reed, Charles Michael, 07W—53, Army, Baldwin; Reichert, William Francis, 05W—66, Army, Valley Stream; Reikmanis, Viesturs, 20W—104, Army, Freeport; Reithmann, Timothy Charles, 37E—12, Army, Valley Stream; Repeta, Henry James, 01W—104, Air Force, Syosset; Rizzo, John Michael Jr, 14W—34, Army, Oceanside; Robinson, Donald Frederick, 20W—128, Army, Long Beach; Roraback, Kenneth M, 01E—34, Army, Baldwin; Rost, James Francis Jr, 16W—90, Navy, Malverne; Rowcroft, Michael J, 44W—16, Army, Roosevelt; Rudolph, Walter William , 30W—30, Army, Manhasset; Ruggero, Victor Joseph Jr, 16E—70, Army, Freeport; Rupert, John Michael, 39E—12, Army, New Hyde Park; Salter, James William, 14W—25, Army, Westbury; Saltz, Eric Donn, 19W—98, Army, Plainview; Sanders, Thomas Andrew, 02E—30, Air Force, Massapequa; Sandman, Mitchell Harvey, 23W—58, Army, Syosset; Sanzone, Robert Benjamin, 20E—35, Army, Levittown; Sanzoverino, William Eugen, 56E—31, Army, Bayville; Saporito, Michael Charles, 41W—15, Army, Valley Stream; Sawtelle, Paul Coburn, 04W—129, Army, Hicksville; Schiavone, Ralph, 41W—1, Air Force, Hicksville; Schmidt, Robert Gustave, 23W—11, Marine Corps, Levittown; Schofer, Karl Andrew, 22W—7, Army, Massapequa; Scibelli, Thomas Anthony, 15W—100, Army, New Hyde Park; Scruton, Kenneth Charles, 33E—53, Army, Mineola; Shanks, James Lee, 69E—2, Air Force, Freeport; Sheehan, Allen Paul, 45E—9, Marine Corps, Muttontown; Sheridan, Philip Francis, 50E—1, Marine Corps, Garden City ; Shorten, Timothy John, 47E—27, Marine Corps, Garden City; Silbert, Leo Vincent, 14E—51, Army, New Hyde Park; Simone, Joseph Ralph, 11E—93, Marine Corps, Merrick; Skoch, Eugene Richard, 46W—23, Army, East Meadow; Smith, Sidney Courtney, 03E—94, Army, Manhasset; Sodaitis, George Frank, 24E—97, Army, Merrick; Solomon, Sidney Morton, 10W—54, Air Force, Roslyn Heights; Sorrentino, Gerald David, 59W—18, Army, Rockville Centre; Stahl, John Joseph, 31W—23, Marine Corps, Floral Park; Stolz, James Edward Jr, 06W—69, Marine Corps, Hicksville; Swane, Brian Edward, 25W—15, Army, Massapequa; Swartz, William Joseph, 12W—19, Army, Seaford; Sweeney, Bruce Robert, 38W—39, Marine Corps, Freeport; Tanzola, Carl Joseph Jr, 33W—70, Army, East Meadow; Tappe, Kenneth William Jr, 28E—106, Army, Floral Park; Taylor, Harry Edward, 16E—32, Army, Hempstead; Thornlow, Gary William, 26W—16, Marine Corps, East Rockaway; Tomasovic, Stanley Robert, 11E—124, Army, Hicksville; Tremblay, Alain Joseph, 53W—40, Army, Hempstead; Trier, Kenneth Robert, 35E—35, Army, Westbury; Trinchitella, Francis A, 15W—80, Army, Port Washington; Turner, Brendan Xavier, 23W—80, Marine Corps, Uniondale; Tuthill, Charles Preston, 01E—31, Marine Corps, Uniondale; Ulrich, George Henry, 27E—32, Army, Merrick; Vallen, Donald William Jr, 24W—13, Army, New Hyde Park; Vercouteren, Edward Arnold, 21E—71, Marine Corps, East Meadow; Vetrano, Gerald Michael, 08W—64, Army, Elmont; Wainz, Robert Michael, 18E—83, Marine Corps, Freeport; Walkowski, Paul Douglas, 07E—100, Army, Hicksville; Walsh, John Michael, 26W—28, Army, Valley Stream; Warshawsky, Joel Barry, 27E—1, Marine Corps, Floral Park; Weidner, Richard John, 67W—7, Army, Bellmore; Weigle, Thomas Herman, 27W—12, Army, South Farmingdale; Weinper, Arthur J, 48E—56, Army, Roslyn; Weisman, Alan N, 12E—92, Army, Roslyn Heights; Westphal, James Francis, 14W—6, Army, North Merrick; Wicks, William Arthur, 08W—13, Army, North Bellmore; Wilenski, Stanley Jr, 11W—26, Army, Hicksville; Wilkie, Charles David, 31E—67, Army, Bellerose; Williamson, Joel Stephen, 30E—36, Marine Corps, East Meadow; Wingenfeld, Robert John, 09W—121, Army, Williston Park; Wolfries, Lowell Astley, 14E—41, Army, East Meadow; Wozniak, Robert Andrew, 34E—47, Army, Bellerose; Zupan, John, 17E—26, Army, Hempstead; Zwerlein, Robert Louis, 24E—65, Navy, Port Washington.
According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) organization in Washington, D.C. nearly 2,709,918 Americans served in Vietnam; fewer than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today. Long Island is home to an estimated 250,000 veterans, not including current military service members. Acting Director William Kraus of New York State division of veteran affairs said of the nearly one million veterans in New York State, 300,000 are Vietnam veterans.
Additional service information, and photos of some of the fallen soldiers may be found at http://www.virtualwall.org/. For more information about local veteran programs contact Nassau County Veterans’ Service Agency at (516) 572-6560.
