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SNAPZ: MY FAVORITE VET
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These veterans received recognition for their service to our country from their family members who submitted their pictures for this month’s “My Favorite Vet” feature. We sincerely thank not only those readers who participated, but the veterans themselves.
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John Santarelli served in the Army in the Pacific Theater on a clean-up crew in Japan. He returned to Youngstown in 1947, where he and his wife, Angeline, raised four children.
Published on November 10, 2011
Angeline (Faiola) Santarelli was a Naval officer from 1050 to1957. She was a Campbell resident. Photo was submited by Francie and Leslie Santarelli.
Published on November 10, 2011
Margaret (Whittekin) Aiello, 88, who is a resident of Victoria House Assisted Living in Austintown, served in the Navy Waves from 1944 to 1949. Photo was submitted by Donna Eusanio.
Published on November 10, 2011
James Gatts of Austintown served with the 82nd Airborne from 1991 to 1996.
Published on November 10, 2011
David Balestrino Jr. served in the U.S. Army for three years of active duty, half of which was in Iraq. He was in the 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y. His proud father David Balestrino Sr., sent the picture of his son in his Humvee doing road clearance for IEDs.
Published on November 10, 2011
Leo Arnaut, left, and his identical twin brother, William, right, are pictured with a fellow soldier holding the flag. They joined the Army in 1942 and were discharged after both were shot while in the same fox hole during the D-Day invasion in France in 1944. Both received the Purple Heart. They were born and raised in Youngstown. Leo died in February 2010, and William, in March 1995. Leo's daughter, Colleen Joerndt, submitted the picture, adding that their family members are all very proud of them.
Published on November 10, 2011
Michael Kopanic of Youngstown, who is 93, served in the U.S. Army with the 39th Combat Engineers from 1942 to 1945 during World War II.
Published on November 10, 2011
Charles M. Skibbe Sr. joined the U.S. Navy when he was 16 to help his large family eliminate the cost of raising one more child. At age 17, the first ship he was assigned to was the USS Nevada, which was directly next to the USS Arizona on Dec. 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attached. He served a total of 11 years and was a member and president of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association of Northeast Ohio. He lived in Chicago and Youngstown. His very proud daughter, Julie A. Speziale of Lowellville, submitted the picture.
Published on November 10, 2011
Daryle Fashion of Salem submitted this picture of her husband, Ronald C. Fashion, who served in the Army from 1966 to 1968 during the Vietnam War.
Published on November 10, 2011
These friends for life — Leon, Fred and George — served in the Army together in Newfoundland and remained friends for over 60 years. Their children continue to keep in touch with each other. George Tekac, who is the father of Rosemary Olsavsky, lived in Coitsville and died in 2009. He was given a medal for the rescue of a local girl whose car ran off the road and landed upside-down in a river.
Published on November 10, 2011
John Pavlich, who died in 2007 at the age of 93, was Patty Townsend's hero. She says her father, who was a lifelong Niles resident, received many medals, include the Bronze Star five times, while serving as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945.
Published on November 10, 2011
Earl Kurinowski of Girard served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946.
Published on November 10, 2011
In May, these two Newton Falls brothers met at Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia prior to their deployments. Dustin Sickle, left, is stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas and flew into this older brother Shawn Eaken's (right) home port before his deployment. Just four days later, Shawn was deployed for the third time aboard the USS Anzio. Dustin has been in the Air Force for over two years as a communication and navigation avionics technician. Shawn has been in the Navy for 10 years as an electronics technician. He is married to the former Elena Cook, also of Newton Falls, and is pictured holding his 4-year-old son, Zachary.
Published on November 10, 2011
Ryan Brown and Angela Nerone sent us this picture of their two favorite veterans (grandparents): John P. Brown III, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1965-1968 and is a past national commander of the Amvets, and Janette C. Brown, a retired senior master sergeant who served in the Air Force from 1973 to 2000. They live in Boardman.
Published on November 10, 2011
Josh Upright of Youngstown served in the Military Police from 1997 to 2000. He is the son of retired Army Sgt. Les Upright of Westfield, Mass., and Sheree Savon of Youngstown.
Published on November 10, 2011
Here is Stanley Hewitt of Youngstown as he appeared when he served in the Army Air Corps from 1939 to 1945. Photo sent in by his daughter, Barbara Cardarelli of Struthers.
Published on November 10, 2011
Lana Vanauker of Canfield submitted this photo of Lewis Speece, who is the director of the War Vet Museum in Canfield. Speece served in the U.S. Marines from 1943 to 1947.
Published on November 10, 2011
Sgt. William R. Smith of Youngstown served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1962 to 1967. His wife, Veronica, sent in this photo of Smith taken on board the USS Vermilion off the coast of Greece when he was still a private first class. Smith served in Vietnam in 1965 and 1966.
Published on November 10, 2011
Lisa Altman of Boardman sent in this photo of her dad, her best friend and her favorite veteran: Gerald A. Hirschl, who died Aug. 18 of this year. He served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War and was honorably discharged in 1952 as a corporal.
Published on November 10, 2011
CW5 William T. Sweeney is shown here with Jessica Tirone, his granddaughter, in 2006. Sweeney lives in Boardman and served more than 30 years as an Army helicopter pilot.
Published on November 10, 2011
Elyse Silverman of Youngstown also sent in this photo of her favorite veteran, her father, Allen L. Wolkoff, who is 92. This photo was taken last year at the Liberty High School Veterans Day program and appeared as part of this year's Snapz promo.
Published on November 10, 2011
Allen L. Wolkoff, originally from Warren but who now lives in Youngstown, served in World War II in the U.S. Army 332nd Engineers for a total of 38 months. He received five Bronze Stars. This is a photo from his Army days submitted by his daughter, Elyse Silverman of Youngstown.
Published on November 10, 2011
Sheree Savon of Youngstown sent in this photo of her father, Merrill E. Williams of Boardman, now deceased. He served with the U.S. Army in Germany from 1953 to 1955.
Published on November 10, 2011
Donald Mickey of Youngstown served from 1953 to 1955 with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Photo sent in by his stepdaughter, Sheree Savon of Youngstown.
Published on November 10, 2011
Lisa Weimer sent in this photo of her favorite veteran, her grandfather, Alfred Pitts Sr. He was from Hubbard and served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945 during WW II. She says he is very sadly missed.
Published on November 10, 2011
The late Albert Paolone Sr. served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945. He is the father of Dee Deem of Struthers, who sent in the photo, and the grandfather of Lt. Michael Deem in the U.S. Army.
Published on November 10, 2011
John Deem of Struthers served in the U.S. Navy from 1966 to 1969. He is married to Dee Deem, who submitted the photo, and is the father of Lt. Michael Deem, who is in the U.S. Army.
Published on November 10, 2011
This photo submitted by Dee Deem of Struthers shows her son, Lt. Michael Deem, who has served in the U.S. Army since 2001. He is stationed in Germany with his wife, Sara, and daughters Alex, Abby and Isabella.
Published on November 10, 2011
The children, grandchildren and great-grandchild of William Ash Jr. honor him as their hero and favorite veteran. Ash of Youngstown is a WWII Army veteran who celebrated his 81st birthday on Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
Published on November 10, 2011
Jason Reckard of Canfield submitted this photo, saying he was proud to have served in Baghdad, Iraq, with the men and women of the Mahoning Valley's 583rd Law and Order Detachment in 2008 and 2009.
Published on November 10, 2011
Sgt. Bob Barko Jr., who is Superintendent of Public Affairs at Youngstown Air Reserve Base in Vienna, has been in the military for more than 10 years. He married Deana Creatura in October. Honoring her brother and his new wife is Kerry Geraci of Boardman, who sent in the photo.
Published on November 10, 2011
Jennifer McNair submitted this photo of CM 1 John Andrew McNair of Newton Falls, who served in the U.S. Navy Seabees for 21 years and is now retired.
Published on November 10, 2011
Barbara Cardarelli of Struthers proudly submits this photo on behalf of her family. Her family is honoring her father, Stanley Hewitt of Youngstown, a WWII veteran. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps after graduating from Chaney High School in 1939 and achieved the rank of Master Sergeant. He served until 1945.
Published on November 10, 2011
Walter Watson of Hanoverton was one of the grand marshals of the Johnny Appleseed Parade in Lisbon in September. He is a veteran of World War II, having served in the U.S. Army in the 82nd and 101st. The photo was submitted by his daughter, Cindy Stoughton.
Published on November 10, 2011
Jason Davis is reunited with his son Jason Davis Jr. after a four-month deployment with the U.S. Navy overseas. They reunited in California and are originally from Austintown. Picture sent in by wife Jana Davis of San Diego, Calif., and mother-in-law Katie Davis of Youngstown.
Published on November 10, 2011
Andrew James Hamrock served in the U.S. Army in World War II from 1940 to 1945. His brother, Rudy Hamrock, served at the same time. Photo sent in by Mr. and Mrs. Andy Hamrock of Lowellville.
Published on November 10, 2011
Rudy Hamrock served in the U.S. Army in World War II from 1940 to 1945. His brother, Andrew James Hamrock, served at the same time. Photo sent in by Mr. and Mrs. Andy Hamrock of Lowellville.
Published on November 10, 2011
Leo H. Connelly Jr., who was born in Brier Hill in Youngstown, served in the Army from 1966 to 1968 in Vietnam. Photo sent by his wife, Doreen Connelly of Boardman.
Published on November 10, 2011
Rose Pacalo of Boardman's two favorite veterans are her husband, U.S. Navy Capt. Nicholas Pacalo, left, who served 24 years before retiring, and U.S. Army Capt. Patrick Pacalo, who served 13 years in the Reserves.
Published on November 10, 2011
Robert W. Kowalski of Canfield served in the U.S. Air Force from 2006 to 2011, and was deployed to Iraq twice during that time. His wife, Casey, submitted this photo of her husband — and hero — that was taken when he was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton.
Published on November 10, 2011
STEVEN MITCHELL
USS Pinkney DDG91
(CF01)
FPO AP 96675-1306
Local tie: YoungstownPublished on November 3, 2011
Doreen Connelly of Boardman submitted this photo of her dad, Thomas Golubich, a Uniontown, Pa., native who served from 1931 to 1945 in the U.S. Army. Golubich, a Technical Sergeant, moved to Youngstown in 1946.
Published on November 10, 2011
Andrew Kurinowski served in the U.S. Navy from July 1944 to July 1946 and was a Seaman 1st Class. He lives in Girard and sent in this photo.
Published on November 10, 2011
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