Now that there are three effective vaccines in circulation to the public, more and more people can now become vaccinated to finally put an end to this pandemic. Although there are still some issues with booking an appointment to even receive a vaccine, one lucky person to receive the vaccine is WWII veteran Ray Vaz. The 96-year-old Mineola resident served our country honorably and saw intense action including D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. He was wounded twice, earning purple hearts, once while storming the beaches at Normandy and again while fighting in France, and ultimately helped liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany.
Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello stopped by Vaz’s home to extend his best wishes to the war hero and thank the organizers who helped arrange transportation to the Javits Center for the 96-year old to receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Ray is a true American hero who might not have had the opportunity to get the vaccine if it wasn’t for the assistance and generosity provided by the Mineola Chamber of Commerce, Warriors for a Cause and All Island Transportation” Nicolello said. “It is wonderful to see the community come together to assist Ray.”
The Mineola Chamber of Commerce, along with Warriors for a Cause and Larry Blessinger from All Island Transportation, helped arrange the trip to the Javits Center for Vaz.
“We loved this as it is our civic duty to help this incredible veteran who did so much for the American people,” president of the Mineola Chamber of Commerce Joel Harris said. “We just met him, cheered him on and thanked him for his service. The chamber is not just a business organization. We are a community organization and want to help our residents.”
State Senator Anna Kaplan and a representative for Congresswoman Kathleen Rice also stopped by Vaz’s home to cheer him on.
