Stephen Dennis

Nominated by William F. McBride

Stephen Dennis enlisted in the Navy at the age of 19, four days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He arrived in the Hawaiian Islands just four months later. Assigned to the USS Atlanta, he soon saw action at Coral Sea. On June 4, 1942, the Atlanta was in the decisive Battle of Midway Island. On November 13, the Atlanta was the lead American ship at Iron Bottom Sound on Guadalcanal, taking a direct hit from a torpedo and being hammered by 49 shells. Eight hours later, having lost one hundred seventy-two men with 79 more wounded, the Atlanta went down. Steve and the rest of the surviving sailors were evacuated from the stricken vessel.

Steve was subsequently assigned to serve as a PT boat radioman off the Island of Tulagi. After two years he was assigned to the USS Ancon as a radio operator, and served in the amphibious invasion of Okinawa. On September 2, 1945, he witnessed the formal surrender ceremony, which took place aboard the battleship USS Missouri. He had the momentous task of radioing the news of the surrender back to the United States.

Steve was honorably discharged in November 1945 and then returned to Mechanicville, where he was married to his wife, Mary, on May 5, 1946. They raised three children, and has five granddaughters, one grandson and is a great-grandfather. He worked 31 years at the Westvaco Pulp and Paper plant in Mechanicville.

Steve was active in the City of Mechanicville for many years. He is a longtime member of the Mechanicville Athletic Club and a member of the Cohoes Community Center for over 30 years where he still swims and exercises 3 times a week. Steve is an active member of the American Legion Post #91. He is an active volunteer at the post where he has been a instrumental in fundraising efforts as a car parker and fl agger. He also volunteers for the Mechanicville Red Raiders football team fundraisers. In 2014 he volunteered for the Saratoga County Veterans Trust Fun fundraiser 5k Run where he helped serve hamburgers and hotdogs to 300 runners that participated. Steve is an active participant in the monthly Saratoga County Deceased Veterans Honors.

2014 was a special year for Steve. In August, he celebrated his 92nd birthday and just two days prior, he was presented with the Medals he earned for his service to our nation in World War II. These included 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. In 2014, Steve was also awarded his High School diploma which he missed out on when he left school three months prior to graduation. He now has the distinction of being a member of the Class of 2014!