These Stories of Valor are part of an ongoing oral history program of the Honor Project to ensure the experiences of our combat wounded and those who gave their all in the service of America are remembered for generations to come.
The Fox News Clip is one of her cherished souvenirs. Corporal Megan Leavey is shown after landing at JFK with her German shepherd Rex, after being reunited thanks to the efforts of Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, his wife Mindy Levine, and New York Senator Charles Schumer.
Read MoreEvarist André LeMay was born in Port Washington, Long Island, New York in 1934. He and his younger sister were part of a working class family. LeMay’s father was a tool and die maker, and his mother was a homemaker. He was greatly influenced by his grandmother, who was a patriotic Scotswoman. She would often tell her
Read MoreAmanda Martino was born on June 7, 1984 in Lindenhurst, on Long Island. She was born into an Italian family, “very loud and very loving.” Her dad had dropped out of high school to enlist in the military, and served in Vietnam before becoming the head of maintenance for a large company. As the youngest of three siblings,
Read MoreRoss Pixler was 18 years old when he saved his friend’s life. The two were mountain climbing up Pico de Orizaba, a dormant volcano covered with glaciers, at 18,490 feet the third tallest mountain in North America. Far off the beaten path, they lost their way and spent three days and two nights in a remote area, when Ross’ friend, a
Read MoreNewburgh, New York. Located on the Hudson River’s west bank, its grounds are filled with history dating back to the American Revolution and beyond. This is the location where General George Washington, upon defeating Cornwallis’ elite British Army at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, chose to make his headquarters, in the bluffs
Read MoreIn 1940, the war on the European continent had been raging on for a full year, with Hitler’s armies sweeping across the continent. In that same year, Japan had signed a treaty with Germany and Italy. In search of resources, Japan invaded the French colony of Indo-China in 1941. The United States promptly placed an embargo on Japanese
Read MoreA veteran of the Korean War, Frank Volock was born on December 3, 1928. At least, he says laughing, “that’s what they told me.” Home for Frank was his family’s farm in the famous Black Dirt lands of Orange County, New York, reclaimed from swamps just before and after the Revolutionary War, and famous for its sweet onions. His
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