AMVETS is seeking young veterans in Oyster Bay

Part three of an ongoing series.

The graying of veterans’ organizations is a concern for many, who worry that if younger veterans do not join, the groups may not survive.
Members of the American Veterans Association are committed to finding a solution. The group, which received its charter in Oyster Bay in February of 2017, is unlike other veterans organizations because it accepts anyone who has served in a military capacity and received an honorable discharge. Two veterans under age 30 have joined this year, and others continue to express interest. “A lot of young veterans came up to us at this year’s Oyster Festival, and they live locally,” said Alex Gallego, the group’s secretary. “They were interested, and we’re hoping they’ll join.”

Serving later in life
Gallego, 50, the senior vice president and branch director of Raymond James in Oyster Bay, joined the New York Guard with other volunteers at Citi Field when Hurricane Sandy hit in October of 2012. The NYG is the military reserve for the state of New York. Gallego decided to get involved after seeing the devastation on Long Island from the storm. He said he had to do his part and serve.
Gallego, who lives in East Norwich, is married and has three children. He said he had thought of joining the military in the past, but the timing wasn’t right. “Sometimes you need a powerful motivator to move forward,” he said. “There weren’t many people at Citi Fields, but I was in my own world and wasn’t thinking about anything except doing the right thing.”
A few months after he volunteered, Gallego began several weeks of training. When he graduated in the fall of 2013, he was assigned to the Jamaica Armory. He began as a specialist and was soon promoted to sergeant, which he described as his fondest days. “I was teaching and working with the men,” he explained. “I held a very special place in their lives as someone they could turn to as well as guide.”
Enrolling in officer training school, he was chosen to become a warrant officer candidate. But when he graduated in 2015, he was asked to be the president of the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce, so he retired from the NYG. It was bittersweet. “No matter what happens, you always miss putting on the uniform,” Gallego said.
In 2015 he joined the New York 11th Regiment, a team of multiple service veterans that conduct military funeral honors for deceased veterans at the Long Island National Cemetery in Melville. Gallego is on the rifle team. “I’m very serious about what I do there,” he said. “For me, it’s a way to continue to serve.”

Some AMVETS members
Gallego served with Michael Bilski, 53, a specialist in the NYG who lives in Queens and is a member of AMVETS.
“Everyone thinks the veteran posts are for older men that sit around and drink and smoke,” Bilski said. Not so, he added — he comes from a family who served. Since he was a child he could be found frequently at Veterans of Foreign War posts. “I try to explain to veterans that AMVETS is involved in the community, and there are young guys there too.”
AMVETS is involved in food drives for the needy, and members also go to the Northport VA Medical Center to keep elderly veterans company. They take part in celebrations on Memorial Day, July Fourth and Veterans Day. “We need young people to help us keep these traditions going so they don’t die,” Gallego said. “We’d like to see the young soldiers join our post, become active and help to build it.”
Some organizations, he said, don’t market themselves correctly to potential younger members.
There are perks in AMVETS membership — networking, and information on resources that veterans may not know about. And it’s a safe place to talk to fellow veterans.
Lt. Hector Sepulveda, 59, of St. James, a member of the NYG is also a member of AMVETS. A doctor who now teaches at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, he didn’t join right away, choosing to attend meetings first. But once there, Sepulveda said, he felt a sense of “brotherhood, sisterhood and respect.”
Now he encourages others to join. He remains impressed by the organization’s commitment to uplifting individuals in the community. He also supports AMVETS’ ability to involve Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, who work on different events with the veterans. “You can see in their eyes how enthusiastic the children are, because they get that feeling of being a part of something that means more,” Sepulveda said. “They look up to the AMVETS members.”
Robert Selby, a retired Vietnam Army veteran, said he understands that younger veterans are busy just living their lives as they struggle to provide for their families. Now 70 and living in Oyster Bay, Selby admits that he didn’t join the Vietnam Veterans of America until 40 years after he completed his service. But now, as a member of AMVETS, he said he believes it’s important for younger veterans to join sooner. “Young people could be our lifeblood,” he said.
Selby said he has found that young veterans can be lonely, and many have post- traumatic stress disorder. “Some have been deployed two and three sessions,” he said. “They’ve seen too much death and destruction. All we want to do at AMVETS is help people. We hardly even talk about what we did in the war.”
AMVETS provides Selby with a way to continue to be a leader and, he said, to follow his heart. “Every single member has something special,” he said, “and they share it.”
AMVETS meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the American Legion, 120 South St. in Oyster Bay. To join, call Gallego at (516) 298-2477 or visit www.amvets21.org.