State Honors Valley Veterans

More than 500 area residents and elected officials honored veterans from Ansonia, Derby, Seymour and Beacon Falls at a ceremony Thursday morning.

The crowd was much larger than expected, said legislative aide Allison Blancato. Organizers and aides for state Reps. Theresa Conroy (D‑Seymour) and Linda Gentile (D‑Ansonia) put out 400 chairs and yet found themselves overwhelmed by a full house at the Ansonia Armory.

Veterans with service from World War II up to the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq received medals. In addition, the families of thirty seven deceased veterans received medals.

Blancato said many veterans had brought their entire extended families, right down to nieces, nephews and grandchildren, and others did not register before the event.

Photo: Aly SheaWhile he was surprised to see so many people, Ansonia American Legion member William Ritchie, 72, called the turnout ​“fantastic.”

Linda Schwartz, the state commissioner of veterans’ affairs, and several members of Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s military staff, awarded each veteran – or in the case of 37 deceased veterans being honored Thursday, family members – a service medal.

Veterans represented all five military branches.

In a speech to the crowd, Schwartz told the crowd that her father, a World War II veteran, never told her the stories of fighting abroad. Her father only recalled it once, to her mother, and she has only ever known the story of her father’s military service through reading it in her mother’s handwriting.

“If you have not taken the time to share your story of what you did, go home and share it,” she urged the veterans. ​“Your story, like my father’s is a true family heirloom.”

The crowd was enthusiastic throughout the hour-long ceremony. Veterans’ family members beamed and took pictures as the names of all the veterans being honored were read aloud.

Conroy said the ceremony is long overdue, and both she and Gentile said they hope to see it become a biennial tradition.

“Our freedom depends on the sacrifices of the men and women here today – and those who are unable to be here with us – and we can never do enough to say thank you for their service. This medal,” she said, ​“is a thank you from the entire state of Connecticut.”

Medal RECIPIENTS

Names Followed by an asterisk received the medal posthumously

ANSONIA

LEO ANTOGNETTE *

PETER J. ARAGI

LOUIS R. BAKER

DENNIS A. BANKS *

WALTER J. BEAULIEU

ROBERT J. BEECHER

STEPHANIE N. BENNETT

JOSEPH L. BERUBE

DANIEL L. BLACKWELL

EDWARD J. BLUDNICKI

WILLIAM A. BOLEVIC

ALBERT D. BORZELLI

ANGELO BOTTACHIARI

CHARLES D. BROWN

LEONARD F. CANDELA

RICHARD J. CARPINELLO *

SALVATORE S. CASSETTI

ROSARIO J. CINQUEMANI

RICHARD F. CODY

DOMINIC C. CONSTANTINO

DONNON D. COTHRAN *

ANTHONY J. DAIUTO

MICHAEL A. DALESSIO

JEREMIAH J. DONAHUE *

LOUIS DONOFRIO

JOSEPH M. DULLA

DONALD G. EHEMAN

JOHN J. ENNIS

JOHN D. ESPOSITO

DOMINIC F. ESPOSITO, SR. *

FRED L. FALCHA

NICHOLAS J. FAMA

ANTHONY J. FARIA

JOHN FERENCZ

JOHN J. FORBES *

NELSON S. FORCIER

RAYMOND FOSTER

HARRY J. FRANCOLINI

JOHN R. GRANATIE

FRANK GREGORIO

ROBERT J. GURA

LOUIS R. HENDRICKS

CHARLES N. HILBERT

RICHARD J. HOMICK

GEORGE A. HOWARD, JR.

PETER INSALACO

JOSEPH B. JENKS

OWEN D. JENNINGS

LEON P. KAZLAUSKAS

DONALD G. KING *

FRANK H. KOCOL

GEORGE J. KOZAK

GREGORY M. KUDEJ

JOSEPH R. LESKO

KENNETH S. LEVINE

ANTHONY M. LIMAURO

JOHN LOTTO

PAUL R. LYNCH

RICHARD LYSKOWSKI

RAYMOND T. MACDONALD

MICHAEL J. MACKNO *

HOWARD S. MADIGOSKY

PAUL S. MANZONE

PAUL S. MANZONE *

JERRY W. MARTIN

ANTHONY T. MAZIUK

JOHN MCGRATH

KEVIN W. MILLEA

MICHAEL MOZZOCA

WILLIAM C. NIMONS

GEORGE P. NOE

WILLIAM P. PAUPINI

EDWARD J. PELATOWSKI

SEBASTION S. PETRUZZELLO

EDWARD C. PHIPPS

JOSEPH J. PIECHOTA *

WILLIAM L. POETA

SAMUEL F. PORCU

DAVID L. RANDALL

FREDERICK D. RENKER

PETER M. REYNOLDS

JAMES K. RICHARDS

EDWIN RIVERA DIAZ

William Rotko *

EDWARD T. RZASA

LEONARD RZASA

PAUL M. SARDO

STANLEY J. SASKA

DONALD SCHRIVER

FREDERICK J. SCHURK

DAVID M. SEVICK

JOHN C. SHEPHERD *

RAYMOND J. SIMMONS

ALFONSO SMITH

WILLIAM W. SMITH

PETER .SOLESKIJR

EUGENE H. SOUKUP

DARIO J. SPERANZINI *

WALTER F. SQUIRES

JOHN SZPAK

FREDERICK W. TANNER

JOHN J. TECCI

ALLEN W. TORDAY

RUSSELL R. TRAVERSE *

JOSEPH L. TURSKI

JOSEPH TURUSK

JOSEPH E. VEDOCK *

CHARLES J. VOROSCHAK

RICHARD J. WAILIONIS

PETER WEITZLER

PAUL WILLETS

JOHN H. WILSON

THEODORE G. WOROBEL

WILLIAM J. WRIGHT

GEORGE ZOLOVCHIK, JR.

BEACON FALLS

Kenneth Ardry

U. SHERMAN AVERY *

ALLAN BANYACSKY

Thomas Beatrice

Robert Black

PAUL BLOCK

GERALD BOUSQUET

HANFORD CABLE

Bruce Carlson

BRUCE CARLSON

Earl Chellis

GERALD CHOPAK

LEONARD DAMICO

BERNARD DRABICKI

Robert Field

James Funingiello

JAMES FUNINGIELLO

MANUEL R. GANDARILLAS *

JOSEPH GETLEIN

SIDNEY GLANZ

Raymond Haversat

Leroy Hennessey

ROBERT HUNTER

ROBERT INGIANNI

PAUL JASINSKI

Joseph Jeanette

Martin Kichar

HAROLD KING

William Klopfer

Louis Krokosky

Raymond Kunz

JOSEPH LASKOWSKI

Peter Loverci

DARIO MARINELLI

Daniel Masas

JAMES MCCAULEY

RICHARD MINNICK

Edmund Mis

FRANK MIS

CHESTER MROZINSKI

MICHAEL MUGGEO

JOHN PAACKER

Thomas Pepe

JOHN A. PETERSON *

CHARLES PIWONSKI

JOHN SAMSON

FREDRIC SANBORN

ANDREAS SAVVIDOU

JOSEPH SCHUMSKI

FRANK SEMPLENSKI

ROBERT SHARNICK

JOHN SIDOROW

EDMUND SIERAKOWSKI

JAMES SMITH

Peter Sokolowski

RICHARD TRZASKI

JOSEPH TUPY

ERNEST TYERS

HENRY WASILEK

NORBERT WILLIAMSON

DAVID WINNE

James William Woodward 

DERBY

ANDREW E. BEDNARIK

FRANCISCO BENITEZ

DAVID F. BISHOP

Mariano Carrubba

JOHN F. COSTIGAN *

JOSEPH M. DENIGRIS

JOHN R. DINAN *

LAWRENCE S. DOROSH

JAMES K. HAWKS

ALBERT N. MARCHETTI

SALVATORE MARICONDA

EMIL J. MARTIN

JAMES F. OWENS

DENNIS M. PEASLEE

CHARLES E. ROBERTS

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ, III

GEORGE S. SEMBER *

ANTHONY STAFFIERI

GEOFFREY W. TURNER

FRANK VACCARINO

ROBERT H. WELLER *

BERNARD H. WILLIAMSON

SEYMOUR

Floyd Abbott

Peter Aquila

ARTHUR ASPINWALL

Howard Bailey

DONALD BALDWIN

Frances Balogh

WILLIAM BANKS

John Barker

GEORGE BASHURA

WILLIAM BECKOS

Adelaide Biondi

FRANK BLAZE

Gloria Bobbins

ANATOL BOBROWSKY

VICTOR BONAVITA

EVERETT BOWEN

RICHARD BOWEN

STEPHEN BRACCI

Daniel Brandon

FRANK BUCHERATI

JOSEPH BUDNIK

LEON BUNK

ARTHUR CACCHILLO

Judy Cannon

FREDERICK CASEY

EDWARD F. CASHIN *

Thomas Cassel

ANTHONY CEDRONE

Stephen Chalfa

JOSEPH CHATCAVAGE

ANDREW CHERNOK

Thomas Cherry

DAVID COE

Ora Conklin

Robert Connors

FRANCIS CONROY

JOHN CONTE

FREDERICK L. COSTER *

THOMAS CREIGHTON

WARREN CROFOOT

RICHARD G. CRUTCH *

HAROLD R. CUNLIFFE *

DANIEL CUSANO

DONATO DALOIA *

John Dantona

PERRY DEGEORGE

WOODROW DEGEORGE

Serafino Dellapiano

Walter Dembek

Muriel Derienzo

EDWARD DILLEY

ROGER DILLIBER

JOSEPH DOMOZYCH

George Dudik

BRIAN DUGGAN

Donald Dziadik

Edwina Engmann

RUSSELL ERRICKSON

Gladys Evenski

George Farrell

WAYNE FINKLE

ANNA FORREST

CHARLES FULLER

ANTONIO FURFARO

JOSEPH GAETANO

Joseph Gesek *

Joseph Giannone

GENNARO GIOVACCHINO

JOHN GIUGNO

JOSEPH GLUZ

GREG GRAMOLINI

ERNEST GREYWACZ

Thomas Groves

FREDERICK GRUMMAN

CASIMIR GRUSZ

WALTER GRUSZ

JOHN GRZEBIENEK

WILLIAM HATHAWAY

CHARLES HESS

LEROY HIBBARD

Elaine Hoffman

PETER HOMICK

STEPHEN HUBYK

WARREN HYATT

William Janega

ELWIN JIMMO

EDWARD JOHNS

ROBERT KACZMARCZYK

EDWARD KARKOSKI

HENRY KAZMIERSKI *

Michael Kearney

STAPLETON KENNETH

HERMAN KIRK

JOSEPH KLEZOVICH

MITCHELL KOPEC

HENRY KORNACKI

JOHN KOTENSKI

SAMUEL KOWAL

SERGEY KOWALSKY *

Donna Kozey

BENJAMIN KOZLOSKI

STEVEN KRICK

PETER KROSS

DAVID KUMMER

PHILLIP KWOKA

MICHAEL LABAN

RICHARD LABRECQUE

JOSEPH LATKA

FRANCIS LEPRI

HAROLD LINDNER

DOUGLAS LINDSAY

ALAN LITTLE

Edmund Loughlin

JAMES LUKOWSKI

Edwin Lyszkowski

Edward Maciejko

John Maiorino

John Majoros

WALTER MARCH

ROBERT MARSHALL

JAMES MASSARI

Francis McKane

John McQuillan

RICHARD MILES

KEITH MITCHELL

CHARLES MULLIGAN

GEORGE MURPHY

JOHN NAJDA

JOSEPH NANISTA

JOHN NICOLETTI

ROBERT NIKITUK

Albert Nimons

RAYMOND ORTIZ

MYRON OSTASZESKI

ANTHONY PALE

JOSEPH PALUTIS

MATTHEW PANULLA

Joseph Pedevillano

FRANK PEKAR *

WAYNE PENN

JAMES PERCIVAL

William Pidlipchak

HENRY PIORKOWSKI

BERT PITNEY

JOHN PLOSKI

ALBERT POETA

Jessica Polizzo

ARTHUR POWERS

ANDREW PRASKEVICH

FELIX PRINCE *

STANLEY PTAK

Evelyn Radovich

FREDERICK RAMSAY

JOHN READY

Donald Reidy

RICHARD REILLY

WILLIAM RITCHIE

George Roman

GEORGE ROZYM *

Edward Sadlowski

Rudolph Shook

Joseph Stasik

RONALD STEBAR

GENE STRAUSSMAN

CLIFFORD STRUMELLO

ANTHONY SUCHOWER

EDGAR TAYLOR

NICHOLAS TEMA

Ellen Teodosio

Joseph Terzini *

HENRY TESTO

EDWARD TINGLEY *

Elsie Trzcinski

Barry Turlish

Joseph Uhelsky

NICHOLAS VALENTINO *

JAMES VEILLETTE

JOSEPH VICIDOMINO

PAUL WARSENICK

SAMUEL WASHENKO

Barbara Wheeler

Philip Wilhelmy

Mary Wilkins

JAMES WILLIAMS

George Wityak

Richard Yitts

HARRY YOST

Francis Zalenski

STEVEN ZAVEDNAK *

HENRY ZIGMONT

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