On Saturday, September 20, 2025, Manhasset American Legion Auxiliary Unit 304 celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department Company 1. The event was attended by members of the American Legion Auxiliary and American Legion Post 304, community members from our churches and business organizations, elected community officials, our Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and their Leaders, representatives of the Nassau County American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary, and also of the Northport VA Medical Center.
President Patricia (Pat) O’Brien opened the celebration with a Call to Order and a Salute to the American Flag. Msgr. Thomas More Coogan, pastor of St. Mary’s Church, offered the Invocation. Treasurer Diane Klein led the Pledge of Allegiance, and First Vice President Elizabeth Parrella conducted the POW/MIA Ceremony. This solemn tradition began some time around 1975, near the end of the Vietnam War. Some of our Junior members, our girls under 18, set the table. This table and each part of its setting has a special meaning and was explained by Elizabeth as she conducted the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, all veterans were asked to remain standing. They were introduced as the men and women who raised their right hand and swore to serve our country and to give their life, if necessary, to protect our freedom. Those present gave a rousing applause to express their gratitude.
Pat explained that Unit 304 considers the POW/MIA ceremony to be especially meaningful because it came into use when we were just beginning. The whole period was a time of turmoil and controversy. Parents, siblings, friends and girlfriends were always concerned that their loved one’s draft number would be drawn, and they would be off to fight in a very unfavorable war. Over 58,000 of our men and women were killed, many returned home to an unwelcoming country. Many were seriously injured, and some still suffer the effects of that war.
Many of those present shared those days. Many of those present served our country during that time. A moment was taken to say to each of the Vietnam veterans present, WELCOME HOME!
We think that the 1975 Commander of American Legion Post 304, Joseph Pisciotta, saw a tremendous need at the time and thought the women of Manhasset could respond to that need. A force of 13 women, family members of the Legionnaires in Post 304, accepted his challenge to serve those who had suffered from the horrors of Vietnam. They set out to help improve the lives of those men and women who were returning from a war the likes of which we had never seen. They applied for a Charter as Unit 304 and partnered with Post 304 in serving our veterans, military, their families, and our community. We were more than proud to stand that day to honor our 13 Charter Members, the women who started Unit 304 and laid a foundation of service lasting 50 years. Their names were in the program but, unfortunately, they are no longer with us. We lost our last Charter Member during the past year, Barbara Curran. Barbara was a faithful member for 50 years and her daughter Barbara joined us to take up our mission.
Grace Pisciotta was another Charter Member and Grace and Joe Pisciotta’s daughter attended the celebration. Pat introduced Grace DeCurtis as their living legacy and a member of Unit 304. She was also our Poppy Queen in 1979. Grace told everyone that she also thought we were presenting the likely sequence of events because she remembered her father speaking about the war and its toll on our soldiers and our country.
1979 was the same year that our First Vice President, Elizabeth Parrella, attended Empire Girls State representing Unit 304. This is the premier American Legion Auxiliary program for girls entering senior year of high school. It is now conducted in all 50 states.
In New York 300 girls are selected to spend a week together forming and governing a fictitious 51st state. The goal is for them to learn, a bit more deeply, about our two-party system, become enthusiastic about our government, and mature into active and involved citizens throughout their lives. Manhasset loves this program and we think we’ve learned why. It’s in our DNA in Unit 304. Grace said she thinks one of the other reasons the women formed the group was to send our girls to Empire Girls State. 50 years later, because of them, we are still doing so, and some of those in attendance help us.
The 13 Charter members, and the Presidents that followed after them, blazed a path of leadership for the rest of us. They knew, understood, and lived the Mission of the American Legion Auxiliary…and they taught it to us. They would be proud to know that their 13 are now 105, 13 of whom are Junior members under the age of 18.
If anyone wonders if today’s youth get off their phones and away from their computers, Pat said to come to a Junior meeting; or watch them ask their neighbors for food donations for veterans; go on a walk with them and their four-legged friends to raise money for America’s VetDogs; come to a Paint Night run by them for Paws of War and veteran food insecurity; pack boxes with them for our veterans in Northport; or shop and wrap gifts with them for veteran moms whose babies are about to be born; bake cookies with them to give to veterans or homeless throughout different communities; watch them create a Girl Scout project at the Warrior Ranch Foundation; you’ll actually wonder if they have phones.
Our American Legion Post may be small but it’s jam packed with things happening for our veterans, our military and their families. If you were a fly on the wall, you would hear our members constantly saying, can’t we give more to that project, or what else can we do for our soldiers in Iraq? Northport needs more. Are we really doing enough for our combat women; what about our women who have suffered traumatic injuries? Stop by during a fundraiser. You’ll find Auxiliary members, Scouts, and some Legionnaires abuzz with what they are doing to assist our veterans and military. Come by when we’re trying to close out our Secret Soldier Santa fundraiser. You’ll find a little army of women running to Target to take advantage of their gift card sale. Why? So we can bring some extra cards to Northport from your donations. The list of good things happening by good people in that little building next door goes on and on.
Several of our invited guests spoke.:
- Jennifer DeSena, Supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead, spoke about the work that the American Legion Auxiliary performs for our veterans and military and the positive impact this has had on our community and our youth. She is impressed by the Junior Program and is thinking about inviting a younger member of the Town to become part of the Town’s Veterans Committee. She invited our Juniors to come to the Town Hall to learn more about our government. She and Town Clerk Ragini Srivastava presented a Proclamation (photo attached) declaring, ”ON THIS DAY, THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD WISHES TO HONOR MANHASSET AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY UNIT 304 FOR 50 YEARS OF DEDICATION TO THE WELL-BEING OF ITS NEIGHBORS IN MANHASSET, THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD AND BEYOND. THEREFORE, LET IT BE THAT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20. 2025 BE DECLARED A DAY OF SPECIAL RECOGNITION For MANHASSET AMERICAN LEGION AUXILIARY UNIT 304 IN CELEBRATION OF 50 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE TOWN OF NORTH HEMPSTEAD.
- Kenneth C. Riscica, Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Plandome Heights, spoke about the long relationship that the Village has had with American Legion Auxiliary Unit 304 and American Legion Post 304. A number of the Charter Members and Past Presidents of Unit 304 had been residents of the Village as well as those named in the “In Memoriam” section from the past ten years. He particularly cited the Gaus family. Ed Gaus was a Past Commander of Post 304. He and Agnes Gaus lived in Plandome Heights with their children and some of those children raised their children there also. He said he was proud to know so many members of the American Legion Auxiliary and respected the accomplishments of the Unit. He is a former Scoutmaster and spoke about the strength of the Auxiliary’s relationship with Boy Scout Troop 97 and the positive impact on the boys who work so closely with the Auxiliary for our troops and veteran programs. The Proclamation he presented, included a section that stated, “Whereas, in addition to serving the veterans of our local unit, Legion Post 304, the Auxiliary serves the community by supporting the annual Memorial Day Parade, supporting the activities of Boy Scout Troop 97, organizing and inspiring our youth in ‘Operation Shoebox’ sending gift items to our troops overseas, sponsoring our participation in New York’s “Girl State” program, among many other activities.” The following appeared in the Plandome Heights Newsletter following the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Manhasset American Legion Auxiliary Unit 304:
Village of Plandome Heights Newsletter
- Phoebe L. Ervin, American Legion Auxiliary President, Nassau County Committee and Dawn Samuel, American Legion Commander, Nassau County are both veterans. Phoebe and Dawn are dual members of the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary. Phoebe was deployed for three tours and spoke of the positive impact upon our troops when they receive packages from home and also of their need for continued support from us when they return home. Dawn spoke about the need to continue educating our youth about the role our military has in preserving our freedom and encouraging our youth to be involved in government. She also mentioned that Scouts can apply for three different American Legion Awards annually that are given by the Nassau County American Legion.
- The Commander of American Legion Post 304 is a staunch supporter of the American Legion Auxiliary. Unit 304 presented an American Legion Auxiliary Certificate of Appreciation to Post 304 in gratitude for their regular support of our activities and our members. The speech by John Iacono, Commander of Post 304, follows:
Auxiliary- 50th Anniversary Thank You Speech_John Iacono
- Joseph Sledge is a veteran and the Health Systems Specialist in the Business Office of the Northport VA Medical Center (NVAMC). He holds a unique perspective due to his military service and more than 30 years in multiple departments in the NVAMC. He spoke about his long relationship with Unit 304 and his gratitude for the dedication and generosity of Unit 304 and the Manhasset community. He touched our hearts and spoke to the core of our existence when he said, “The footprint of Unit 304 is on every part of the Northport VA Medical Center.” He said it would be difficult to find any portion of the NVAMC that hadn’t received some sort of assistance or kindness from Unit 304 and the Manhasset community. He mentioned that it extended from the smallest of items such as greeting cards, to personal items and clothing for those in residence or rehab programs, to visits with veterans which mean so much to someone who is alone, to funding for programs, empowerment of gift-giving for veterans to their children, and equipment that can be successfully used in therapy. Unit 304 presented Joe with a Certificate of Appreciation that reads in part:
With heartfelt gratitude for your service and dedication
To the veterans and military of Long Island, as well as their families.
Your devotion and kindness have been boundless during your many years
At the Northport VA Medical Center.
You have been undaunted by obstacles and creative in your approach.
We salute you as a Hero
For both your Military Service and your Service to our Military.
You live our motto “Service Not Self for God and Country.”
Pat introduced some of the women whose dedication and commitment cut through a number of the five decades of Unit 304. They are two of our 3 living Past Presidents. Theresa (Teddy) C. Bogner has been a member for 29 years and served as President for 2 terms. Rita Eredics has been a member for 34 years and also served as President for two terms from 2004 until 2006. It is a very demanding position. They, and the other 18 Presidents before Pat, loved the Unit, our veterans and our military enough to keep the mission alive and the Unit thriving for others to keep developing. Pat said that Rita is actually responsible for her serving as President. We all appreciate Rita and her perspective . Her legal mind gives us one piece of a picture, and her heart completes it. Rita was presented with a bouquet of flowers and Teddy’s bouquet was presented to her at home.
Pat introduced three very special members. Some people have never met a centenarian. We are blessed to have 3 centenarians as members.
Josephine Braca became a member 16 years ago. That means she committed to serving our veterans when she was 84. She didn’t retire from our organization at 84. She knew she still had a lot of energy within her and still had contributions to make. She said…I want to help you! She weas at our 50th Celebration and you can find her at our other activities. She isn’t sitting around complaining that her back hurts. She isn’t feeling sorry for herself. She is trying to do good. Pat said, “Jo, we’re so proud of you, and so grateful for you. Thank you for being here today.” Josephine was presented with a bouquet of flowers.
Anyone who knows Elvie Castano knows she is a ball of fire. She also joined us later in life and, unfortunately, moved to Rhode Island. But she is still a member, and we honor her for her commitment.
Pat mentioned that she and her husband Donald have been Florence Parrella’s backyard neighbor for 52 years. She will be 101 on Tuesday! Florence, too, joined the Auxiliary when most people start to retire or hibernate in other states. In 2015, 10 years ago, we nominated Florence for Unit Member of the Year in New York State. That meant that roughly 35,000 members were eligible for the honor. We wrote several pages about her work and ended with: “Florence is more than just our Unit Chaplain, sufficient as that would be. Her contributions to our Unit have been invaluable, and without her we do not believe that we could have accomplished as much as we have for our military, our veterans and their families, and our community. Last September she celebrated her 90th birthday, but despite her age she is always willing to help in whatever way she can, and she always does it with great enthusiasm and good cheer. She is the epitome of a team player, a quiet leader, a patriot and a true American. She exemplifies “Service, Not Self”. Manhasset Unit 304 is proud to nominate Florence Parrella as Unit Member of the Year. When the Unit Member of the Year awardee was announced at a convention upstate, Florence stood up. From the dais they saw this tiny, thin woman whom they assumed to be frail, and immediately sent 2 women to escort her to the stage. She left them in the dust. She ascended the steps, they gave her the microphone, and her strong voice bellowed out with an acceptance speech prepared on the brisk walk up the aisle. She told us exactly what the American Legion Auxiliary meant to her and what it should mean to each of us. Everyone rose in amazement and the Convention Hall rocked. There was no doubt that the correct candidate had been selected. Florence still rocks us! Florence was presented with a bouquet of flowers.
OUR PARTNERSHIPS
During the Celebration we mentioned some of the things we have been doing over the past 50 years. But it is not just Unit 304 doing them. We have never been able to do it alone. So Pat said that we do not just celebrate the longevity of Unit 304 or our passion about the American Legion Auxiliary. We celebrate the partnerships that have been established within Manhasset and beyond. The partnerships that have enabled us to help reduce food insecurity and suicide among our long island veterans. Partnerships that have enabled us to provide clothing, cards, gifts, and personal items to those seeking treatment in hospitals and rehab centers. Partnerships that have enabled us to send packages overseas to make the deserts more bearable, the nights less lonely. Partnerships that have helped Long Island organizations such as America’s VetDogs, Paws of War, and the Warrior Ranch Foundation so that those suffering the consequences of war can receive solace and peace through the care of a trained and loving animal. It is because of those partnerships, all the members that followed those special 13 women until today, and our generous community and friends that we have been able to support, not just those who suffer from the Vietnam war, but also those who endured the Gulf War, the War on Terror… in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Libya. And we can’t forget our heroes from World War II and the Korean War who are still with us. We are grateful to the Manhasset community and our friends. Together we have supported those deployed in these locations and those who have returned for treatment especially in the Northport VA Medical Center. So today, we will say thank you to those partnerships and present an American Legion Auxiliary Certificate of Appreciation designed specifically for the assistance they have provided. Anyone not present will be provided with it on a future date.
The Ace In The Hole Foundation was created so that the loss of a brave family member, 1ST LT. Michael LiCalzi, a son and twin brother, would be remembered, not because he died for our country, but because he lived to keep our country free. His twin brother Greg of Manhasset and his Foundation have supported our Empire Girls State Program for years, along with many of our other programs. Many of the girls who attended will tell you that it changed them and taught them information they don’t learn in school.
Care to Knit has been by our side year after year donating beautiful handmade blankets, many of them red, white and blue for us to give to our veterans, or handmade sweaters, mittens, and hats for their babies. We say thank you to Ines Glick and the wonderful women of her organization who seem to be able to knit beautiful creations at a minute’s notice.
Everyone’s small souvenir from today is a reminder of the Flanders Fields where more than 150,000 lost their lives. In 1921, the Poppy became the Memorial Flower of the American Legion Auxiliary. Today the proceeds from the handmade Poppies are used to directly support veterans, active duty service members, and their families. The Church of St. Mary permits us to ask for donations from its parishioners for Poppies each year in May after the Masses on a weekend prior to Memorial Day. Without this assistance, our largest annual fundraiser would fall very short of supporting the many veterans in need of assistance. Thank you, Father Tom.
The DeMatteis Foundation steps forward each year to help support our Secret Soldier Santa program with the Northport VA Medical Center. This is the program at the Northport VA that empowers many of our veterans to provide holiday gifts for their children. Thank you, Keith, to you and your family for always supporting this project and memorializing those who served.
The William A. Daly Columbiettes, an Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus at St. Mary’s Church, are our ever-present partners, supporting our activities and our veterans through their crafting, baking, bingo, and more. We hope we do at least an adequate job in supporting their many other worthwhile charities and programs. Thank you all for being here.
The Gaels Parents’ Association of St. Mary’s High School supports the Empire Girls State program each year to ensure that additional young women experience our system of government firsthand. As we mentioned, they become familiar with the planning and campaigning necessary to be elected as a public official, and, at the very least, learn the importance of life-time voting and involvement in government both locally and nationally. Thank you for your annual support.
King Kullen of Manhasset also permits us to request Poppy donations from their customers. In addition, they have made food donations for our veterans, provided gift cards to support programs, and, today, they donated the cake for our celebration. Thank you, Lori Seus, for sharing this day with us. We love having “America’s First Supermarket” in our backyard and knowing that two of Michael Cullen’s grandchildren attended St. Mary’s High School, in the block adjacent to the King Kullen property.
Manhasset Bagels joins those who permit us to request donations from customers for Secret Soldier Santa and during the Poppy season. Their bagels are often part of our morning meetings. We are grateful to them, and Manhasset is grateful for their bagels!
Raindew Family Centers Manhasset has been a faithful partner for many, many years. They permit us to use their back door space and front sidewalk area for Secret Soldier Santa and Poppy collections. If it is very cold, very hot, or rainy, they provide us with space inside. They have gone out of their way to ensure that clothing and other items needed by veterans at Northport are available and reasonable in price. We will always be grateful for their generosity. Thank you.
Our Scouts from Troop 71 and Troop 97 have been partnering with us since they were little boys. Through the years they have grown up supporting our troops. They have spent hours donating items and then packing boxes to ship to our deployed troops. They have spent additional hours in the cold and heat accepting donations for Secret Soldier Santa and Poppies. We are proud of them and our partnership. We hope they are equally proud of themselves and the role they have played to assist our veterans and active military. Thank you also to all their leaders and parents. Thank you, Tom Twomey. Ed Demirdjan, and Chris Simone, for being here and being role models for the youth of our community. Both Chris Simone and Tom Twomey spoke about the strength of the relationship between their Scouts and the American Legion Auxiliary. They spoke about the importance of having our youth do community service and learning about the sacrifices made by our military.
Umberto’s generously discounts our purchases and supports our work with the military. Their pizzas are always a great part of Veterans Day and many meetings of the American Legion family. The first thing they said when we invited them for today was…do you need us to bring you some pizzas? We are always greeted by a friendly Umberto’s team!
When you leave here today, please remember to support the organizations and merchants who have supported us. It is not easy to thrive as an independent organization among so many larger ones. Please make conscious decisions to purchase from them when you are able.