At Ease!

Veterans registration day

Rich Liebson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:42:03 +0000

Westchester County veterans not registered for medical benefits can do so Thursday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the county Veterans Service Agency, 112 E. Post Road in White Plains.

Former service members can also obtain the new anti-ID theft veterans identification cards, which help streamline benefit services. Make sure to bring your discharge papers (DD-214) with you.

Veterans benefits are constantly changing and a visit to the Veterans Service Agency will keep you up to date on what you’re entitled to. For a complete rundown of the services offered by the agency, visit their website by clicking here.

Pelham American Legion on CBS Early Show

Rich Liebson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:49:22 +0000

A color guard from Pelham’s American Legion Post 50 joined New York State America Legion Commander William Kearsing and Fang Wang, former national vice commander on the CBS Early Show last week in a runup to Veterans Day.

The group appeared in the GM Building Plaza with Early Show co-hosts Harry Smith and Maggie Rodreguez. Color Guard members were Joseph Hall, Ron Oravec, Phil Perrorazio, Robert Lepple and Robert McGuirl.

Support the troops, get free eats

Rich Liebson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:37:00 +0000

The South Side Inn on Route 6N in Mahopac is hosting a “Support the Troops Night” Saturday.

Bring in socks, T-shirts, non-perishable snacks and other goodies between 4 and 8 p.m. and enjoy a free hot buffet and live music while you’re there. All donated items will be shipped to service members overseas.

Tower of Hope fundraisers on Veterans Day

Rich Liebson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:13:20 +0000

Simultaneous fund raising events for Tower of Hope, an organization that teams veterans with severe physical and/or psychological disabilities with specially-trained service dogs are being held Wednesday at the Pocantico Hills home of Jeff and Pat Joseph and in Pound Ridge at the home of Dr. Emer Leahy and her husband, Donald Perun.

Founded by Sleepy Hollow resident Cathy Carilli, whose husband, Tom Sinton, was killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11, Tower of Hope pays about $25,000 for each service dog, which includes training, placement and ongoing veterinary care.

The dogs do a myriad of tasks for their owners, who receive the animals at no cost.

Check out the organization’s website here for more information on the programs, the fundraisers, and how you can help.

Yonkers to host Vietnam wall replica

Rich Liebson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:15 +0000

The Vietnam Wall Diginity Memorial, a traveling replica of the Vietnam War Memorial located on the mall in Washington, D.C. comes to Yonkers next week for Veterans Day.

Scheduled to arrive Tuesday with a police motorcycle escort, the wall will be set up at Fleming Field and officially open to the public on Wednesday in a ceremony scheduled for 2 p.m. The wall is to receive a 24-hour honor guard staffed by volunteers, who will also be able to help visitors find the names of loved ones or friends who were killed in the war. The city is still looking for volunteers, who can call 914-377-6700 for more information.

Click on to the city’s website at for additional details.

Medal of Honor Display Completed

Rich Liebson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:37:38 +0000

The Medal of Honor display at Mount Pleasant Town Hall will be completed Saturday (Nov. 7) when Rep. Nita Lowey presents the American Legion Medal of Honor Committee with the U.S. Navy’s version of the nation’s highest honor.

Pete Fiumefreddo, commander of the Hawthorne American Legion post and the driving force behind establishment of the display and of a monument at Town Hall honoring all of the New Yorkers who have received the Medal of Honor, said the presentation will take place at 10:30 a.m. Earlier this year the medal committee unveiled the Army and Air Force medals. Arrival of the Navy version was delayed by red tape, Fiumefreddo said.

The display, and the monument bearing the names of New York’s recipients, “will serve as an everlasting testament to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who have received this honor for their courage and valor,” he said.

Pelham American Legion Dinner

Rich Liebson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:10:05 +0000

New York National Guard Capt. Robert Zizolfo will be guest speaker at Pelham American Legion Post 50’s annual Veterans Week dinner-dance Friday evening at the Davenport Club in New Rochelle.

Capt. Zizolfo is base operations officer for the Guard’s training site at Camp Smith. He spent two years in Iraq as commander of the 145th Maintenance Company, directing a force of more than 300 soldiers who provided logistical maintenance and support at seven bases .

The dinner-dance begins with a cocktail hour at 7:30 p.m. and concludes at 12:30 a.m. Included are a full course dinner and music provided by a disc jockey. The event is open to the public. Tickets, which cost $60 per person, can be obtaianted by contacting Post Commmander Frank Barbieri at 1-646-533-0187.

Mount Vernon vets to rededicate park

Rich Liebson — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:47:58 +0000

The Central Committee for Veterans Affairs of Mount Vernon will hold a
rededication ceremony on Saturday Oct. 24 for the Anthony T. Fava Veteran’s
Memorial Park.
The 2 p.m. event at the intersection of Mount Vernon, Stevens and West
Lincoln avenues will raise awareness for a rehabilitation of the park that
the veterans group would like to undertake.
A cocktail reception will follow at the Elks Lodge, 88 West Lincoln Ave. In
case of rain the ceremony will also be in the Elks Lodge.

Join the military, get health care

Rich Liebson — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:31:43 +0000

While the national debate over health care insurance and public options rages on, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday ran a story about Bill Caudle, who was laid off from his job at a plastics company in March.

Caudle, 39, started Army basic training earlier this month in Fort Jackson, S.C. It wasn’t patriotic fervor that caused him to enlist at a somewhat advanced age – it was the fact that he was about to lose his health insurance. His wife has ovarian cancer and after trying every other option, the father of three did what he felt he had to do. A four year enlistment will guarantee healthcare for his wife.

Click here to read the entire story.

Spin for Soldiers

Rich Liebson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:30:35 +0000

A local health club will hold a “Spin for Soldiers” fundraising event Sunday to support an organization that provides service dogs to veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The event will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the New York Sports Club, 420 S. Riverside Ave. in Croton-on-Hudson.
The public is invited to meet a wounded veteran with his service dog and to participate in the stationary bicycle exercise or sponsor one of the “riders” to raise money to help another veteran through The Tower of Hope.
To register or sponsor a rider, click here and follow the link to the Spin Event announcement. Or, you can sign up at the club. and click on the Spin Event announcement to register or sponsor a rider, or sign up at the club.
For more information, contact the sports club at 914-271-8909, call The Tower of Hope at 203-286-0900 or email the organization at rlund@thetowerofhope.org.