Halesite Tuskegee Airman To Be Added To Huntington WWII Memorial

HUNTINGTON, NY — Joseph B. Bennett, a Tuskegee Airman from Halesite, will have his name posthumously added to the Town of Huntington's World War II Memorial, according to a news release. The town recently discovered Bennett's name, Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci said.

"On this final week of Black History Month in 2021, we are thrilled to be able to add this most deserving Word War II pilot, Joseph B. Bennett, to the Town of Huntington World War II Memorial in just the nick of time, thanks to the Newsday article on local Tuskegee Airmen and the great work of our Veterans Affairs Coordinator Carol Rocco," Lupinacci said.

Rocco was reading Newsday when she found the article "Famed Tuskegee Airmen included LIers who paid a price abroad and at home," and discovered one of the five Long Island airmen featured was "2nd Lt. Joseph B. Bennett" of Halesite, according to the town.

Rocco on Monday returned to Huntington Town Hall and checked her database to find that Joseph B. Bennett was not in the list of names on the Town of Huntington World War II Memorial located in Veterans Plaza on the front lawn of Town Hall.

The memorial honors the memory, service and sacrifice of Huntington’s World War II veterans. The memorial's 6,000 names have been added in four phases on 15 plaques. Following community outreach over the past few years, the town has been working on a final plaque of names of World War II veterans who ever lived in the town.

The unveiling ceremony for the final plaque was expected to take place in June 2020, but the town was forced to postpone the event due to gathering limitations and concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic. The late Bennett's name was added on Monday thanks to the delay and a final proofreading of the plaque. His is the final name of 364 new names to be added to the memorial on the last plaque.

Rocco researched Bennett’s name and found an obituary, which revealed he died at the age of 93 on Jan. 13, 2021. She contacted the James Hunt Funeral Home in New Jersey, which put her in touch with Bennett’s daughter, who gave approval to add his name to the World War II Memorial.

Bennett grew up in Halesite and entered the Civilian Pilot Training Program at Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. As a WWII Pilot, he earned several medals and retired with the rank of Captain. As a civilian, Bennett continued his flying career by flying private chartered planes for presidential families and other socialites until becoming an aviation consultant.