My deepest and sincerest thanks to the committee who made St. Rocco's rededication ceremony one of the highlights of our parish - the timing was perfect! We should honor our veterans of all wars, past and present, every day by saying a prayer of thanksgiving that they served with pride and dedication. Better yet, the next time you see a serviceperson, go up to them and give them your best thank you for serving our country. They'll never forget you and you will be a better person because you care.

If someone were to ask me what makes Glen Cove "a great place to live in or hail from," my reply would be "our forefathers and mothers who made our city part of the Greatest Generation."

My personal recollections of WWII are those of a 15-year-old, too old to be a kid and too young to be an adult. I think all of us grew up overnight; even though we never saw an invasion, bombing or actual fighting, the horrors of war were all around us. We had survived a depression and were beginning to see a brighter future. Then, the threat of impending war was in our midst. We faced this new phase in our lives with determination. We bonded together when this threat became our war, our servicepersons and our duty to one another. We unified and we made the best of it with prayer, compassion and patriotism. What I remember so vividly was that almost every home in our neighborhood had a small flag with a blue star hanging in a front window to signify that they had someone serving in the armed forces. Sometimes, the blue star would be replaced with a gold star to indicate the loss of a loved one. How courageous these mothers were!

My sympathy went to the families who left "the old country" and brothers and sisters they never knew, particularly the Suozzi, Cappiello, Pannetta, Bellissimo, Stanco, Capobianco and other families. My mother-in-law had two daughters and their families in Italy and four sons in service, two in the Pacific and two in the Atlantic. How did these families ever survive? Even now I remember how badly our parents felt when our forces had to bomb or invade their homelands. But war is hell. Perhaps our present leaders should look back in our history to see the cruelty and stupidity a war brings to nations, particularly the present Middle-East situation which reflects that the dollar has more meaning than the value of a person's life. Our community lost veterans of other nationalities, too: Jewish, Polish, Irish, Germans, Blacks and Hispanics - we all shared the anguish and pain.

Again, let us give thanks to the late Father Dante who made the Honor Roll possible. Also, Mary Bellissimo Alois who helped compile the list of servicemen.

In closing, I would also like to remember Helen Subenski, an unsung heroine who worked in our local Western Union office during the war. Unfortunately, one of her tasks was to deliver messages to families whose sons were either killed or missing. Helen was my dearest and closest friend who was also a war casualty - she had a nervous breakdown at the end of the war in 1945. Helen recovered, then moved to California and is no longer with us. Helen would best be remembered as the girl in her "cool" little red Willys, zipping around town delivering telegrams to our large manufacturing companies - Powers-Chemco, Wah Chang Trading, Columbia Carbon and Ribbon, Reynolds Metal and the Pall Corporation. But Helen never delivered bad news without contacting a member of the clergy to accompany her.

By now, you're asking where does this lead to. It's a remembrance of what makes Glen Cove a great place to live and be a part of. To our new neighbors, a hearty welcome and know that all of us "old timers" are a product of good schools, great values and a sense of civic pride. And to our senior citizens - support our schools and don't worry about an increase in taxes. We can't take it with us, but look at the legacy we leave behind! God bless America.

Anna Lisi-Carbuto