Honor Flight

On Saturday, September 21, Honor Flight Long Island brought WWII and Korean War veterans on a free flight to visit their memorials in Washington, D.C.

This year, the East End saw Louis Merola of Eastport, who served in WWII in the U.S. Army, join HFLI.

“I was assigned to the 170th Engineer C Battalion. I had some anxiety on my first day on the range,” Merola stated. “However, I wound up being a sharpshooter.” Merola, who also was an Army projectionist, was awarded the Army of Occupation, Good Conduct, and World War II Victory medals. “I was proud to have served my country.”

Also on the trip was Joseph Taranto of Southampton, a yeoman second class in the Navy during the Korean War. Taranto served in French Morocco and aboard the USS Marquette. While touring around Europe, Taranto met the actor Peter Lorre and attended a public audience with Pope Pious XII. “I never regret any time I spent in the Navy,” he said.

For more information or to find out the qualifications for HFLI, visit www.honorflightlongisland.org.