Veteran Grateful for Gesture by North Haven Rotary Club

An East Haven military veteran, who served his country on active duty for 22 years, including during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, expressed his appreciation recently for free admission to the upcoming pancake breakfast sponsored by the North Haven Rotary Club. Dan Gertsch, a regular patron at Annie’s Kitchen Restaurant in the Montowese section of North Haven, received five free tickets for the event from the club’s public relations chair. The restaurant’s owner, Cindy Vanacore, described the pleasant octogenarian as “such a wonderful man.” 

In addition to his son, the career veteran will join three former POW’s at the North Haven Middle School on Veterans Day, November 11^th for the fourth annual all-you-can-eat breakfast staffed by the local service club from 8 -1:00. The affable senior whose noteworthy patriotic service began as a young teenager with a one year stint as a Merchant Marine, then served in the U.S. Navy on a destroyer until 1949. The man known as “Sarge” said that soon after that he “tried to re-enlist in the Navy in 1950 because war broke out in Korea,” but quickly added, “Because their quota was filled, I joined the Army, served in Korea, and stayed through Vietnam.” The retired sergeant (E-7) ended his brief comments before returning to his coffee by proudly noting that he was even “on call” during the Persian Gulf.