"This kind of event is always nice because we get together with vets we may not see often," said U.S. Navy and Vietnam War veteran Salvatore Manastra. "We have a saying, 'when you meet a Vietnam Vet, welcome him home'. We may not have received that welcome back then, so being here is a good thing."
The event, which has been a big draw over the last five years according to Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, drew more than 300 vets, family members, friends and even political rivals.
"It's a honor to be here and to be able to honor our veterans for five years now," Feiner said. "We can''t thank them enough."
Raymond D'Alessandro, who served in the Army Air Corps and Marines in WWII and Korea, has worked with the New York State Council of Veterans Organizations for many years.
"There are very strong supports for veterans today," D'Alessandro said. "We try to be sure our veterans are helped and given all the opportunities we can. This event is a great day for us."
Town Clerk Judith Beville and the Town of Greenburgh Veteran's Advisory Board organized the event and volunteers from the Town of Greenburgh and its CERT team cooked and served the veterans.
Several sponsors provided the food and donations for the event. They included The Cabin Restaurant (White Plains), Carmine's Italian Deli (Elmsford), Cerbone of Naples (White Plains), Dunkin' Donuts (White Plains), El Dorado Finer (Tarrytown), Harry's of Hartsdale, Leftiri's Gyros (Tarrytown), Pete's Saloon (Elmsford), ShopRite of Scarsdale and Wedged-In Deli (White Plains).
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