Salute to heroes: Veterans honored during 9/11 ceremony at military museum

“Fourteen years ago our nation was attacked by violent extremists, terrorists,” said Cmdr. Elvis Mikel, of U.S. Navy support activities based in Saratoga Springs. “Many were touched by the loss of friends and family.”

A navy color guard opened the ceremonies, followed by an invocation and Pledge of Allegiance led by Paul O’Keefe of Mechanicville, a 2014 Veterans Hall of Fame honoree.

“Today is all about our heroes ... heroes who have asked for nothing in return,” said state Sen. Kathleen Marchione, R-Halfmoon, whose office organized the event. Navy veteran Stephen Dennis of Mechanicville was inducted to the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame in May. Marchione presented Dennis and six other veterans from her 43rd District with plaques in recognition of their exemplary service.

The others are navy veterans Robert F. Burlingham of Victory Mills and M. Duane Wehnau of Sand Lake; U.S. Marine Corps veteran John E. Parkinson of Petersburgh; and army veterans William Allendorph of Averill Park, Vincent Grimaldi of Taghkanic and Marilynn Wright of Ghent.

Dennis joined the navy on Dec. 11, 1941, four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His ship, the USS Atlanta, helped win the Battle of Midway, but was sunk after being struck by a torpedo at Guadalcanal. Rescued from the stricken vessel, he became a radio operator on the USS Ancon and served during the amphibious invasion of Okinawa.

On Sept. 2, 1945, Dennis witnessed Japan’s formal surrender on the USS Missouri and radioed news of the momentous occasion back to the United States.

Burlingham, of Victory Mills, was in the navy from 1953-57. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Navy Occupation Service Medal European Class. He is a lifetime member of Schuylerville American Legion Post 278 and Greenwich Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7291.

Allendorph, a Vietnam veteran, began his military service in January 1967 in Troy after being drafted into the army. The next May he graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School and was sent to Quang Tin Province where he was a mobile advisory team leader.

During his service, he commanded a rescue mission that brought back army Specialist 4 Larry D. Aiken from enemy hands, the only prisoner forcibly returned to friendly control during the war. Allendorph’s many awards include three Bronze Stars.

Wehnau, a World War II veteran, was in the navy from 1943-46. In addition to military service – he received an Asiatic Pacific Medal among many others – he has spent countless hours in support of local service men and women in the town of Sand Lake. He maintained the site of a former Veterans Memorial for many years, a monument that is now part of the Sand Lake Veterans’ Memorial Park.

Parkinson, a Korean War veteran, was in the U.S. Marines from 1948-52. In 1950 he landed at Inchon Harbor with the 1st Marine Division and fought to capture Seoul, the capital of South Korea. He also fought in the infamous Chosin Reservoir campaign that heavily-outnumbered Americans succeed in the midst of brutally-cold weather conditions.

Parkinson received two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star with ‘V’ for valor and a Silver Star.