By Patrick Cardone
Their Social Studies teacher, Mr. Sarosy, reached out to me to see about getting some WW II veterans together to speak to his classes. This was an opportunity I did not want to pass up.
As I started to make my phone calls, contacting the American Legion Post #335 and the Marine Corps League, I quickly found out that the amount of WW II veterans with us today has drasticly declined - and rapidly.
I was able to round up three veterans who were up to the challange: James Dillon, U.S. Marine Corps, who served on the U.S.S. Langley in the Pacific; Marcus Dellefemine, Army Aircorps, a B-24 pilot who flew over 30 combat missions over Europe; and Bernie Dunitz, U.S. Marine Corp 5th Marines, who was on Iwo Jima during the famous flag raising on Mt. Sirabachi.
The day started at 0845 (that's 8:45 a.m. in military time) at Lynbrook North with the veterans speaking to five different classes during the course of the day. The final class was at 1315 going to 1430 (what time do you think that is?) And, military style, we got our men out of there before the final bell rang (the battle in the hallway may have been one battle they may not have won!)
During the course of the day the men fielded an artillery of questions from the students. At one point, Dunitz remembered that the only way he knew our side was winning was when the flag went up on Iwo Jima. "During combat nobody really knows what is going on," he said. "You just look out for yourself and your buddy."
Dellefemine remembered coming back from a mission with fewer aircrafts than what they left with - and landing his B-24 with only one engine. "You see the flash of light in front of you," he said, "and being a pilot, you knew that it was a plane going down, you just prayed it wasn't one of your own."
Dillon supported numerous battles during his island hopping - from his 40 mm or 20 mm machine gun position on the U.S.S. Langley. "You relied on your training and your faith to get you through it," he said. "The life expectancy of a machine gunner in combat is about 13 seconds."
One question was presented to the gentlemen from a female student, asking about thoughts of females in the military. It was fun watching three 85-plus-year-old men dance around that one! The men explained that they were raised in a different era, but expressed how much of an important role women played on the homefront during the war. They explained that although women were not allowed to do as much as men back then, they feel that women were respected much more in their time. They felt it was important for girls today to respect themselves.
I think that the students received more than just a history lesson last Friday. They, along with some of the teachers who stopped - and myself - learned a great deal from three true patriots.
The veterans also got a little treat - when we broke for lunch and were exiting the building, students were lined up in the hall and broke out into a round of applause for us. We liked that.
I would like to express a special thanks to Mr. Sarosy and the school's staff for inviting the veterans into their school and making us feel at home. It means a great deal to be remembered, and to see that the students are still being taught American History!
That day, the students not only got a history lesson and met a few of the men from the greatest generation, they received a life lesson, too.
Pat Cardone is the Commander of the Lynbrook VFW, Post #2307.
