Huntington To Unveil World War II Plaques Honoring 365 Veterans

HUNTINGTON, NY — Plaques bearing the names of 365 World War II veterans from the Town of Huntington are set to be added to the town's World War II Memorial on Sunday, the town stated. The ceremony is scheduled for noon Sunday on Main Street in front of Huntington Town Hall at 100 Main St.

With a large crowd expected, Main Street is set to close 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. between Prime and Jackson avenues, according to the town.

"The purpose of this ceremony is to remember and honor the brave World War II veterans from the Town of Huntington who will finally have a place of honor on the World War II Memorial of their beloved Town," the town wrote in a statement.

Huntington Town Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, Town of Huntington officials, and the Huntington Veterans Advisory Board will be joined by federal, state and county officials, families of 365 Huntington World War II veterans and local veterans groups. "Every precaution" has been taken to ensure the event is safe, the town said.

People who plan on attending and have questions can call Carol Rocco, Town of Huntington Veterans Affairs, at 516-721-3039.

The Town of Huntington World War II Memorial on Veterans Plaza honors the memory, service and sacrifice of Huntington’s World War II veterans. Under the guidance of former Veterans Advisory Board Chairman Victor Martinetti, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on May 7, 1995, to create the World War II Memorial. The Army Corps of Engineers Reserves out of Floyd Bennett, Brooklyn, agreed to do the excavation and prepare the footing for a 40-foot foundation for the memorial.

Major General Anthony Kropp, a Huntington resident, and commander of the 416 Engineer Command helped facilitate the agreement, saving the Town of Huntington nearly $40,000 at the time, according to the town. The World War II Memorial was dedicated on Nov. 10, 1996. There are more than 6,000 names on the memorial which have been added in four phases on 15 plaques.

After community outreach over the past few years, the final two plaques will add the names of 365 people to the memorial. Among them will be the name of Joseph B. Bennett, a Tuskegee Airman from Halesite.

The unveiling ceremony for the final plaques was expected to take place in June 2020 but the town postponed the event due to coronavirus pandemic-related gathering limitations and concerns. The delay and a final proofreading of the plaque allowed for the late Joseph B. Bennett’s name to be added to the list on Feb. 22, 2021 — the final name of 365 new names to be added to the memorial on the last two plaques.

In order to be eligible to have their name placed on the memorial, the World War II veteran must have been a resident of the Town of Huntington at any time in their life for a minimum of six months and must have served at any time between Dec. 7, 1941 and Dec. 31, 1946, with proof of service.