Navy vet tapped as grand marshal

Valley Stream’s Memorial Day Parade will step off at 9:30 a.m. on Monday and, like every year, it will feature veterans, children, school bands and fire trucks.

But one difference will be in its leader. Richie O’Hara, a Navy veteran, has been chosen as this year’s grand marshal. The 70-year-old Valley Stream resident was picked for the role by Marty Kielawa, a member of American Legion Post 854 and this year’s parade chairman.

O’Hara, the son of Irish immigrants, served in the Navy from 1960-64 as an aircraft fighter. He completed basic training in Great Lakes, Ill. and then was stationed in Virginia.

Crash and rescue was a major part of his job, and occasionally he was summoned to duty. O’Hara is credited with saving the lives of two Marines. When their F8A plane crashed during a test run in Virginia after running out of gasoline, he pulled them from the burning wreckage. O’Hara said the pilots forgot how to switch to the auxiliary fuel tanks.

Other job responsibilities included putting out fires, maintaining runways and refueling planes. When planes would practice “touch-and-gos” — landing and immediately taking off again — his firefighting crew would be stationed there. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the aircraft carrier runways were manned around the clock in case planes needed to be off at a moment’s notice.

After leaving the service, O’Hara worked as a truck driver for 25 years delivering lumber. Most of his trips were either upstate or to New Jersey. “There was no regular route,” he said. “I went wherever they told me to.”

It was nearly 25 years ago when O’Hara first joined the American Legion. He said once he was done raising his family, he had the time to devote to the veterans organization.

O’Hara was vice commander of the post three times, served as commander from 2000-01 and is current member of the Legion’s Board of Trustees. He said he enjoys the brotherhood and camaraderie with fellow veterans.