Thanks to Art Lembke

for reminding us about the

USS New York LPD21
               
the fifth San Antonio class amphibious transport dock, is the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named after the state of New York .  New York has a crew of 360 and can carry up to 700 Marines. It's a warship designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists and terrorism!!!

It is notable for using a symbolic amount of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center after it was destroyed in the September 11 attacks. It was built with 24 tons of scrap steel from the two towers.

          

Notice the twin towers rising above the superstructure.

        

New York was christened on 1 March 2008, in a ceremony at the Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans . Dotty England , the ship's sponsor, smashed the traditional champagne bottle on the ship's bow and christened the ship New York .

The official ship commissioning took place on 7 November 2009, in New York City . Speakers included Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Governor David Patterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chief of Naval Operation Admiral Gary Roughead and Commandant of the Marine Corps General James T. Conway.

Approximately one in seven of the plank owners are from New York state, a larger number than usual.

Hicksville Vietnam War Era Memorial

 

Fund Raising:  HOORAY AGAIN!!  As reported last month, the IRS letter confirming tax exempt status for our Memorial organization was finally received in mid-October!  Our bank account is now open for the acceptance of donations that will enable construction and completion of the Vietnam Era Memorial.

During November, donations amounting to about $2,700 have been received from a small group of HixNews readers and alumni, but our goal to successfully construct, erect and maintain the Memorial is $25,000.  Any proceeds remaining after a reserve for Memorial maintenance is set aside, will be donated to a worthy Veteran's Charity.

We will very much appreciate the generosity of more HixNews readers and alumni to this worthy cause.  Remember, your contributions are tax deductible.  Please make your checks out to:

Hicksville Vietnam Era Memorial Project

Please mail your checks as follows:

Hicksville Vietnam Era Memorial Project
c/o William Walden
 245 West 9th Street
 Deer Park , NY 11729  

The Confirmed List of Names still stands at 1,890.  No new names were added in November and very little progress was made on filling in missing data for the Confirmed and Unconfirmed Lists of names.  We continue to need the help of all our readers here!! 

As a HixNews reader, please help us by reviewing both lists when you select the "click here" options near the bottom of this update with your computer mouse.  To speed the process, just look for names from your class year and other years you may be familiar with, as a reference and see if you have a new name or some missing data on existing names to email to us.  Class years, where known, are specifically shown to make this effort easier for everyone.  Missing data for names is shown in red, to make it easier for readers to see what's needed.

The Unconfirmed List was created to specifically insure we don't leave anyone behind from earlier class years (the 1940's and 50's) who served during the Vietnam War Era and deserve recognition.  Please see if you can help us establish if these folks served during the Vietnam Era (Vietnam Era dates are shown in the "Memorial Qualifications" section below).

Memorial Qualifications:  A person must have been on active duty in one of our Armed Forces, served in the Active Reserves or served in the National Guard during the Vietnam War Era.  Armed Forces personnel did not necessarily have to serve in Vietnam , because by being in service at that time he or she faced the possibility of being sent to Vietnam and was an integral part of strengthening our Armed Forces during a time of war.

Overall qualifications include:

  • must have been a resident of Hicksville at some time before entering our Armed Forces
  • must have attended a public, private or parochial high school while living in Hicksville (attendance at HHS not required)
  • Must have served on Active Duty anywhere in the world during America 's Vietnam Era (February, 1961 through April, 1975) or on Active Reserve or National Guard Duty in the USA during the same period.
  • Both men and women qualify (We're stating this since, while a number of women have been added, we still have relatively few on the current list overall)

Our Project Team consists of the following HHS Alumni and Vietnam War Era Veterans and is pleased to add its newest member in Terry Wallace:

·        Ken Strafer, Founder (HHS '62)

·        Joe Carfora, Project Coordinator & Master List (HHS '62)

·        Carl Probst, Input Data, Class of '59 & Others (HHS '59)

·        Tony Plonski, Input Data, Class of '64 & Others (HHS '64)

·        Tommy Sullivan, Press Release Editing (HHS '63)

·        Walter Schmidt, Town of Oyster Bay Veterans Services Officer (HHS '65)

·        Joe Ingino, Veterans Advocate, Hicksville & Long Island (HHS '67)

·        Jay Tranchina, Input Data, Class of '64 & Others, plus local press contact (HHS '64)

·        Bill Walden, Cmdr of Hicksville VFW Post, Site Selection/Approval & Fundraising Leader (HHS '65)

·        Terry Wallace, Input Data, Class of '66 & Others, has fundraising experience (HHS '66)                                                   

Here's what we continue to need from each person reading this to do:

Please click on the following link to review the Confirmed List of Names:  Click here

Please click on the following link to review the UNCONFIRMED List of Names:  Click here

If you know of someone who is not listed, or if you have information we are still missing, please email what you have to Joe Carfora at jcar4a@aol.com.    Please use the information contained on the current list as a guide for the data needed to complete a name's listing.

Thank you!

The Vietnam War Era Memorial Project Team

Footnote extracted from www.vietnamwar.com:  During nearly 15 years of military involvement, over 2 million Americans served in Vietnam with 500,000 seeing actual combat. 47,244 were killed in action, including 8000 airmen. There were 10,446 non-combat deaths. 153,329 were seriously wounded, including 10,000 amputees. Over 2400 American POWs/MIAs were unaccounted for as of 1973.