In late September, nine veterans from Cold Spring traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit a number of war memorials and museums. The three-day excursion was sponsored by members of the George A. Casey Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 275 and American Legion James Harvey Hustis Post 2362.
Video by Gregory Gunder
Long version (56 minutes):
The Veterans
Ed Englebride
Entered Army in 1956 serving as a Specialist 3rd Class, Machinist Battalion, stationed in Germany. He also served six and a half years in the Reserves.
Joe Etta
Served in the Army during World War II, rising from Private 1st Class to Sergeant. Participated in the D-Day invasion at Normandy as well as invasions in North Africa and Sicily.
Ray Jones
Served as a Specialist 4th Class in the Army in 1961-64. Stationed in Germany.
Francis (Terry) Lahey
Served in Korean War in 1951-52 as Sergeant 1st Class in the U.S. Army Combat Engineers.
Mike Mastrolia
Served in the Army from 1967-70 as Specialist 5th Class. Trained as a helicopter mechanic, he served as a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam.
Steve Merando
Served in the Navy Seabees from 1969-73. A Construction Electrician 2, he served combat duty in Vietnam.
Ed Murphy
Retired as a Command Sergeant Major after 45 years in the Army, the highest rank attainable for enlisted personnel. His final mission was to Saudi Arabia in 1990-91.
Phil Schartzle
Served two years in the Army beginning in 1956. A sergeant, he was stationed in Germany.
Tom Kivel
Served in the Navy 1966-1970 as Seaman E-3 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation, including duty in Vietnam.
A deeply moving tribute to our veterans. Well done, Gregory Gunder and The Highlands Current!
I’m glad to know more about these men’s experiences — they deserve such respect — it’s a privilege to live in the same village as them.
Thank you The Current and Greg Gunder.