Apr 2014 - Northport American Legion Post 694

RECOGNITION: First Division Commander Regina presented The National Fund
Excellence Award to Northport Post 694 at the monthly Division Meeting on March 14. The
Department of New York Award is for the Post’s assistance to citizens during Hurricane Sandy.
As a result of the hurricane, the Post was utilized as a community warming station and also
housed out of state utility workers.
A wonderful evening was had by our Post members at the annual Salute to Our Veterans
Jazz and Cabaret Night. The event was presented by the Harborfields Central School District
on Thursday, March 20. The event started with dinner being served by the students from the
Harborfields High School Leadership Club. After dinner a recital from the Harborfield’s Voice
Ensemble followed by the Instrumental Jazz Ensemble entertained those in attendance. The
students were great. If you missed this free event, don’t do so next year.
Legionnaires, you are invited to attend the presentation of the annual Veterans Cup Golf
Tournament earning to the VAMC on Wednesday, April 2. Mario Buonpane, the golf outing
chairman, will be awarding the proceeds to the director and staff at 10 AM in Building 10. The
awarded monies are to be used for the recreation and entertainment of the patients at the VAMC.
Chairman Damon McMullen and his committee will host the grand opening reception
of our renovated Legion Hall on Sunday, April 6. The reception is open to all Post and family
members who will have the opportunity to enjoy and view the Post renovations. Hors d’oeuvres
and beverages will be served between the hours of 1 and 4 PM. Come and partake in the
experience.
The 22nd Annual Golf Outing at Crab Meadow Course is set for Monday, April 28. This
is one of the most important fundraisers for our Post, so please help and become a volunteer.
Family members and friends are all welcome to help. Call Ron Matuza to volunteer (631-2610094).
The annual convention of the Suffolk County American Legion will be held on Saturday,
June 7th at the Joseph Loeffler Post 1006 in Brentwood. This will be the one time that every Post
in Suffolk County will come together and be represented. County officers will be elected for the
coming Legion year. Please plan to come. If you wish to attend the convention we will have a
sign up sheet at the next Post meeting. .
Cornelius Cahill, Orlando Capodieci, Maurice Cassidy, Henry Gartelmann, Charles Glad,
Robert Hartig, Patrick Hoey, Michael Koulermous, Elliott Marin, Vincent Marrone, Robert
Martin, Ed Miller, George Seaman, Frank Taylor, Harry Thellman, Alan Vitters
For those who have not seen their birthday listed, please call or email me, Pete Tramonte at:Tel:
631-459-3789Email:usmc115@verizon.net
The National Emergency Fund Post Excellence Award
presented to our Post for our willingness to provide
assistance and support to our community after a national
disaster resulting from Hurricane Sandy. This award will be
proudly displayed in our newly renovated Post.
Red Cross Award Brunch to members of our Post for
continued volunteer service to veterans.
Sometimes we need to take a look backward to see where we were, and try to relate that to where we are today. Certainly a
different cut of people from our past that served and provided us with enjoyment.
Stewart Hayden, US Marines and OSS. Smuggled guns
Danny Aiello, US Army. Lied about his age to enlist at 16.
into Yugoslavia and parachuted into Croatia.
Served three years.
James Stewart, US Army Air Corps. Bomber pilot who rose
James Arness, US Army. As an infantryman, he was severely
to the rank of General.
wounded at Anzio, Italy.
Ernest Borgnine, US Navy. Gunners Mate 1c, destroyer
Efram Zimbalist Jr., US Army. Purple Heart for a severe
USS Lamberton.
wound received at Huertgen Forest.
Ed McMahon, US Marines. Fighter Pilot. (Flew OE-1 Bird
Mickey Spillane, US Army Air Corps, Fighter Pilot and
Dogs over Korea as well.)
later Instructor Pilot.
Telly Savalas, US Army.
Rod Serling, US Army. 11th Airborne Division in the
Walter Matthau, US Army Air Corps. B-24 Radioman/
Pacific. He jumped at Tagaytay in the Philippines and was
Gunner and cryptographer.
later wounded in Manila.
Steve Forrest, US Army. Wounded, Battle of the Bulge.
Gene Autry, US Army Air Corps. Crewman on transports
Jonathan Winters, USMC. Battleship USS Wisconsin and
that ferried supplies over “The Hump” in the China-BurmaCarrier USS Bon Homme Richard. Anti-aircraft gunner,
India Theater.
Battle of Okinawa.
William Holden, US Army Air Corps.
Paul Newman, US Navy Rear seat gunner/radioman,
Alan Hale Jr., US Coast Guard.
torpedo bombers of USS Bunker Hill
Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Battle of Okinawa.
Kirk Douglas, US Navy. Sub-chaser in the Pacific.
Russell Johnson, US Army Air Corps. B-24 crewman
Wounded in action and medically discharged.
who was awarded Purple Heart when the Japanese in the
Robert Mitchum, US Army.
Philippines shot down his aircraft.
Dale Robertson, US Army. Tank Commander in
William Conrad, US Army Air Corps. Fighter Pilot.
North Africa under Patton. Wounded twice. Battlefield
Jack Klugman, US Army.
Commission.
Frank Sutton, US Army. Took part in 14 assault landings,
Henry Fonda, US Navy. Destroyer USS Satterlee.
including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan and Corregidor.
John Carroll, US Army Air Corps. Pilot in North Africa.
Jackie Coogan, US Army Air Corps. Volunteered for gliders
Broke his back in a crash.
and flew troops and materials into Burma behind enemy lines.
Lee Marvin, US Marines. Sniper. Wounded in action on
Tom Bosley, US Navy.
Saipan. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Sec. 7A
Claude Akins, US Army. Signal Corps, Burma and the
next to Greg Boyington and Joe Louis.
Philippines.
Art Carney, US Army. Wounded on Normandy beach,
Chuck Connors, US Army. Tank-warfare instructor.
D-Day. Limped for the rest of his life.
Harry Carey Jr., US Navy.
Wayne Morris, US Navy fighter pilot, USS Essex. Downed
Mel Brooks, US Army. Combat Engineer. Saw action in the
seven Japanese fighters.
Battle of the Bulge.
Rod Steiger, US Navy. Was aboard one of the ships that
Robert Altman, US Army Air Corps. B-24 Co-Pilot.
launched the Doolittle Raid.
Pat Hingle, US Navy. Destroyer USS Marshall
Tony Curtis, US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus. In Tokyo
Fred Gwynne, US Navy. Radioman.
Bay for the surrender of Japan.
Karl Malden, US Army Air Corps. 8th Air Force, NCO.
Larry Storch, US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus with Tony
Earl Holliman, US Navy. Lied about his age to enlist.
Curtis.
Discharged after a year when they Navy found out.
Forrest Tucker, US Army. Enlisted as a private, rose to
Rock Hudson, US Navy. Aircraft mechanic, the Philippines.
Lieutenant.
Harvey Korman, US Navy.
Robert Montgomery, US Navy.
Aldo Ray, US Navy. UDT frogman, Okinawa.
George Kennedy, US Army. Enlisted after Pearl Harbor,
Don Knotts, US Army, Pacific Theater.
stayed in sixteen years.
Don Rickles, US Navy aboard USS Cyrene.
Mickey Rooney, US Army under Patton. Bronze Star.
Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Served aboard an LST in
Denver Pyle, US Navy. Wounded in the Battle of
the Battle of Okinawa.
Guadalcanal. Medically discharged.
Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Instructor.
Burgess Meredith, US Army Air Corps.
Soupy Sales, US Navy. Served on USS Randall in the South
DeForest Kelley, US Army Air Corps.
Pacific.
Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Officer.
Lee Van Cleef, US Navy. Served aboard a sub chaser then a
Neville Brand, US Army, Europe. Was awarded the Silver
minesweeper.
Star and Purple Heart.
Clifton James, US Army, South Pacific. Was awarded the
Tyrone Power, US Marines. Transport pilot in the Pacific
Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.
Theater.
Ted Knight, US Army, Combat Engineers.
Charlton Heston, US Army Air Corps. Radio operator and
(con’t on back page)
aerial gunner on a B-25, Aleutians.
Don Adams, US Marines. Wounded on Guadalcanal, then
served as a Drill Instructor.
James Gregory, US Navy and US Marines.
Brian Keith, US Marines. Radioman/Gunner in Dauntless
dive-bombers.
Fess Parker, US Navy and US Marines. Booted from
pilot training for being too tall, joined Marines as a radio
operator.
Charles Durning, US Army. Landed at Normandy on
D-Day. Shot multiple times. Awarded the Silver Star and
Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Survived Malmedy
Massacre.
Raymond Burr, US Navy. Shot in the stomach on Okinawa
and medically discharged.
Hugh O’Brian, US Marines.
Robert Ryan, US Marines.
Eddie Albert, US Coast Guard. Bronze Star with Combat
V for saving several Marines under heavy fire as pilot of a
landing craft during the invasion of Tarawa.
Cark Gable, US Army Air Corps. B-17 gunner over Europe.
Charles Bronson, US Army Air Corps. B-29 gunner,
wounded in action.
Peter Graves, US Army Air Corps.
Buddy Hackett, US Army anti-aircraft gunner.
Victor Mature, US Coast Guard.
Jack Palance, US Army Air Corps. Severely injured bailing
out of a burning B-24 bomber.
Robert Preston, US Army Air Corps. Intelligence Officer
Cesar Romero, US Coast Guard. Coast Guard. Participated
in the invasions of Tinian and Saipan on the assault
transport USS Cavalier.
Norman Fell, US Army Air Corps, Tail Gunner, Pacific Theater.
Jason Robards, US Navy. Was aboard heavy cruiser USS
Northampton when it was sunk off Guadalcanal. Also served
on the USS Nashville during the invasion of the Philippines,
surviving a kamikaze hit that caused 223 casualties.
Steve Reeves, US Army, Philippines.
Dennis Weaver, US Navy. Pilot.
Robert Taylor, US Navy. Instructor Pilot.
Randolph Scott, Tried to enlist in the Marines but was
rejected due to injuries sustained in US Army, World War 1.
Ronald Reagan, US Army. Was a 2nd Lt. in the Cavalry
Reserves before the war. His poor eyesight kept him from
being sent overseas with his unit when war came so he
transferred to the Army Air Corps Public Relations Unit
where he served for the duration.
John Wayne,Declared, “4F medically unfit” due to pre-existing
injuries, he nonetheless attempted to volunteer three times
(Army, Navy and Film Corps.) so he gets honorable mention.
Audie Murphy, America’s most-decorated soldier, who
became a Hollywood star, as a result of his US Army service
that included his being awarded the Medal of Honor.
Would someone please remind me again how many of today’s
Hollywood elite put their careers on hold to enlist in Iraq or
Afghanistan?
The only one who even comes close was Pat Tillman, who
turned down a contract offer of $3.6 million over three years
from the Arizona Cardinals to enlist in the US Army after
September, 11, 2001 and serve as a Ranger in Afghanistan,
where he died in 2004.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to
finish the world we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds.” -Abraham Lincoln: Second Inaugural Address, 1865
Two army rules:
#1 - The commanding officer is always right.
#2 - If the commanding officer is not right, see #1