Town of Huntington, NY - News Details
9/30/2014 - Petrone, Berland Welcome Huntington High School Alumni at Vietnam Memorial
Huntington – Supervisor Frank P. Petrone and Councilwoman Susan A. Berland welcomed the Huntington High School Class of 1964 to the Town of Huntington s Vietnam Memorial September 27 during a ceremony in which the alumni as part of their 50th reunion recognized classmates who served, including 24 whose names will be added to the memorial next year.
In his remarks, Supervisor Petrone noted the contributions veterans from the class had made in serving our country and he acknowledged the Class of 1964 reunion committee, most notably veterans chair Lou Pagano, for its role in spurring the reopening of the wall for new names. Supervisor Petrone also thanked class member Eric Freedman, who donated money to help cover the cost of adding the names.
Pagano spoke about serving in Vietnam and its effect on veterans after returning home. As part of the ceremony, the Huntington High School Chamber Choir, under the direction of Veronica Manville, sang the National Anthem and God Bless America. The invocation was delivered by the Rev. Kirt Watkins and the benediction by Dr. Carol Deinhardt Cohen. Both are members of the Class of 1964.
Originally unveiled in 2003, the wall currently lists the names of 1,112 Vietnam War era veterans who live or lived in Huntington. That includes persons on the original three plaques and those who were added in the subsequent five years before the wall was closed in 2008 and a fourth plaque was installed.
Last year, representatives from the reunion committee approached Supervisor Petrone about the possibility of reopening the wall to add names of about 20 of their classmates. The Supervisor determined that there was room for the wall to accommodate additional names and opened the wall for an additional period that ends December 31, 2014. To date, there are 190 names that will be added, including the 24 from the Huntington High School Class of 1964.
The dedication of the new list will be part of ceremonies marking the 40th anniversary of the war’s end in 2015.
To be eligible, a person must have lived in Huntington for six months at any time in their life. An application form must be completed and a copy of the veteran’s DD214 submitted, along with a $15 donation to defray expenses. Contact Carol Rocco, (631) 351-3012 for an application and additional information.