These Stories of Valor are part of an ongoing oral history program of the Honor Project to ensure the experiences of our combat wounded and those who gave their all in the service of America are remembered for generations to come.
It was an old, dusty antique store, located at the intersection between the Valley of Ashes and the Garden of Eden. Despite its outward appearance, this forlorn shop held a magnificent valuable. This treasure took the shape of a tarnished and forgotten, yet unadulterated medal, and would lead to the discovery of Captain Zachariah Fike’s true
Read More“Soldiers who have not been to war want to go to war. Soldiers who have been to war, don’t want to. They go because it is their duty,” expresses Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Gade, a two-time Purple Heart recipient, and instructor at West Point. “There is little glory in war, and whatever glory there is, is far outweighed by the horror of
Read MoreRichard R Gerbeth, Jr. was born November 18, 1972 in the Bronx. He grew up in Lake Carmel in Putnam County, New York. Both of Richard’s parents were teachers, and his father was a Navy Vietnam War era veteran. He had a happy childhood, participating in karate and sports such as baseball and soccer. He wanted to play football in
Read MoreAlmost fifty years after fighting a war against an often unseen enemy in the jungles of Vietnam, Howard Goldin has returned to Vietnam to fight another battle. He and his fellow Rotarian members raise money to build schools in developing countries for orphaned children. They have built three schools in Vietnam, one in Jamaica, and one in
Read MoreOne of the most dangerous jobs on the front lines. Only lightly armed if at all, these heroes dash out under enemy fire into open combat, risking their lives to save the lives of their wounded brethren. With bullets flying through the air, and mortar rounds and grenades exploding all around them, the medic puts his life on the line for
Read MoreAnthony Lassiter was born in February 1947 in Beacon, New York. He attended his local high school, where he was the quarterback for his football team, and a member of the varsity wrestling and baseball team, playing 2nd and 3rd base. He graduated high school in 1966.
Read MoreRichard Lay was born on February 27, 1949 in working-class Yorkville on the East Side of Manhattan, where his family’s apartment was on the fifth floor of a walk-up building. His father, a bus driver, served in the United States Army during World War II. His older brother was drafted into the Army and served in Vietnam from 1966 - 1967.
Read MoreThe Fox News Clip is one of her cherished souvenirs. Corporal Megan Leavey is shown after landing at JFK with her German shepherd Rex, after being reunited thanks to the efforts of Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, his wife Mindy Levine, and New York Senator Charles Schumer.
Read MoreEvarist André LeMay was born in Port Washington, Long Island, New York in 1934. He and his younger sister were part of a working class family. LeMay’s father was a tool and die maker, and his mother was a homemaker. He was greatly influenced by his grandmother, who was a patriotic Scotswoman. She would often tell her
Read MoreAmanda Martino was born on June 7, 1984 in Lindenhurst, on Long Island. She was born into an Italian family, “very loud and very loving.” Her dad had dropped out of high school to enlist in the military, and served in Vietnam before becoming the head of maintenance for a large company. As the youngest of three siblings,
Read MoreRoss Pixler was 18 years old when he saved his friend’s life. The two were mountain climbing up Pico de Orizaba, a dormant volcano covered with glaciers, at 18,490 feet the third tallest mountain in North America. Far off the beaten path, they lost their way and spent three days and two nights in a remote area, when Ross’ friend, a
Read MoreNewburgh, New York. Located on the Hudson River’s west bank, its grounds are filled with history dating back to the American Revolution and beyond. This is the location where General George Washington, upon defeating Cornwallis’ elite British Army at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, chose to make his headquarters, in the bluffs
Read MoreIn 1940, the war on the European continent had been raging on for a full year, with Hitler’s armies sweeping across the continent. In that same year, Japan had signed a treaty with Germany and Italy. In search of resources, Japan invaded the French colony of Indo-China in 1941. The United States promptly placed an embargo on Japanese
Read MoreA veteran of the Korean War, Frank Volock was born on December 3, 1928. At least, he says laughing, “that’s what they told me.” Home for Frank was his family’s farm in the famous Black Dirt lands of Orange County, New York, reclaimed from swamps just before and after the Revolutionary War, and famous for its sweet onions. His
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