Picture: Honoring the “Greatest Generation” – Senator Kathy Marchione proudly stands with decorated World War II Navy veteran, Mechanicville resident and her 2015 inductee to the NYS Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame, Stephen Dennis

For Immediate Release: May 19, 2015

Contact: Josh Fitzpatrick, (518) 455-2381, fitzpatr@nysenate.gov      

Cell: (518) 542-2413, joshuakevfitz@yahoo.com 

Follow Senator Marchione on Twitter @kathymarchione, and find her on Facebook

Picture: Honoring the “Greatest Generation” – Senator Kathy Marchione proudly stands with decorated World War II Navy veteran, Mechanicville resident and her 2015 inductee to the NYS Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame, Stephen Dennis

Albany, NY – Senator Kathleen A. Marchione (R,C,I-Halfmoon), Chair of the Senate’s Local Government Committee, is pictured (left) proudly standing with decorated World War II Navy veteran, Mechanicville resident and now her 2015 inductee to the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame for the 43rd Senate District, Mr. Stephen Dennis (right). Mr. Dennis and all of the inductees to the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame were honored by Senator Marchione and her colleagues during a patriotic public recognition ceremony held in Albany earlier today.

Mr. Dennis began his honorable, heroic service as a member of the United States Navy at the age of 19, when he enlisted in the Navy just four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Mr. Dennis was among the survivors of the USS Atlanta which was torpedoed and sunk during the battle of Guadalcanal. He also served as a radio operator onboard the USS Ancon during the invasion of Okinawa and had responsibility of radioing news of the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri back to the United States, a historic event that he personally witnessed. Mr. Dennis was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1945 having attained the rank of radioman, third class.

In speaking of Mr. Dennis and his exemplary service record, Senator Marchione said: “When you think of the incredible men and women of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ you think of genuine American heroes like Stephen Dennis. Stephen Dennis has seen, lived and survived things that the rest of us civilians can only imagine. His story is one of heroism, survival, courage under fire and being an eyewitness to one of the most consequential events in American history, the Japanese surrender that took place on the USS Missouri.”

Mr. Dennis was awarded numerous medals and recognitions for his courageous military service including: the World War II Victory Medal; the American Campaign Medal; the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with Two Bronze Stars; the Navy Occupation Service Medal; the Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon and the Combat Action Ribbon and 5 Battle Stars.

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