Pearl Harbor Day Observance & Memorial for Gerard Barbosa

    Gerard Barbosa, long time honorary member of William Clinton Story Post No.342, died Friday,  September 15^th 2017.  Gerard Barbosa survived Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that pulled the United States into World War II.  Barbosa  later served during the Normandy  invasion that helped bring the war to a close.  

Barbosa was a 17 year old Gunners Mate on board the Navy cruiser USS Raleigh on Dec. 7, 1941, when the fighter and torpedo planes of the Japanese Imperial Navy filled that Sunday Morning sky bringing death and destruction.
      

Barbosa also served on D-Day, supplying American troops at Normandy’s Omaha Beach as a crew member aboard the LST 157 landing craft, and ferrying German prisoners to England.  

We honor him and remember Pearl Harbor.

Dugout December 2017

Dugout December 2017 

Please contact us at wcspost342@gmail.com if you have questions, concerns or input into the content of the Post Newsletter.  This edition of the newsletter is being distributed via bulk mail to the membership.

To Membership and our followers via email and facebook...thank you for your continued support and enduring delays in distribution.  Have a wonderful holiday season.

Thank You.
David Cockerel
1st Vice Commander
William Clinton Story Post No. 342

Pearl Harbor Remembrance and Veterans Day Observance

Pearl Harbor Remembrance & Veterans Day Observance Ceremony

In the Freeport Memorial Library on December 7, 2012 the American Legion hosted a celebration recognizing Past Commanders of the American Legion and Senior Legion Members who served and continues to serve the Legion and the Freeport Community.

Ken Belefiore, Library Director was Master of Ceremonies and informed us that the Freeport Memorial Library was the first such Library dedicated to Veterans of War in the State of New York.  Although Mayor Hardwick could not attend Trustees Kennedy and Pineyro were in attendance.

The guest speaker, the Honorable Stephen Drummond, Freeport Village Justice along with the Village Trustees did the presentation of the Village Citations to the honorees.   Carolyn Harding did soul stirring renditions of the National Anthem, a Patriotic Medley that included Amazing Grace and God Bless America which those assembled all joined in.

Unfortunately, Gerard Barbosa, Pearl Harbor Survivor who served in the U.S. Navy could not attend due to suffering a heart attack just a few days before the ceremony.  Judge Drummond gave a heart touching reflection of what Pearl Harbor meant in light of the Hurricane Sandy disaster and what seeing the American Flag meant to him after the storm.

We again thank Reverend Carlos Vargas of the Freeport Bible Center for his attendance and Invocation, also Reverend Phillip Prestamo of the First Baptist Church for giving us the Benediction.  It was a wonderful ceremony with much applause for the Legionnaires among us who have proved to be not only the backbone of the Post but backbones of the Freeport Community.

Below is the Program for the Event

For God and Country

David N. Cockerel, 2^nd Vice Commander, Post 342

Announcement Regarding Veterans Day Services

             Postscript:  This announcement has been made in

                             response to Hurricane Sandy and the

                             Nor'easter.