Massapequa Post 1066 of the American Legion is in the midst of an intense fund raising effort to erect a veterans memorial in time for the annual Memorial Day parade, Past Commander Louis D. Ulino announced last week.

Ulino, who is the American Legion's Memorial Committee chairman, said that the post needs to raise $30,000 to make the monument a reality, and is currently seeking financial support from the community to achieve this goal.

The memorial will be erected in the garden area of the Massapequa American Legion Post, located at 66 Veterans Boulevard, facing the Long Island Rail Road. Ulino noted that the memorial will fill a void in the local community, as there are currently no veterans memorials in the area. The monument will honor all the MIAs (soldiers missing in action) and POWs (prisoners of war), all the deceased members of the armed forces - men and women of all wars, and the deceased veterans of Massapequa Post 1066. "They served their country. They died with dignity and honor," said Ulino. "And we think that they're entitled to some memorial in their honor."

The American Legion has sent a letter announcing the memorial plans to post members, local merchants and residents. The letter expresses the post's hopes for the success of the effort. "Massapequa Post No. 1066 of the American Legion is planning to commemorate Memorial Day 2001 in a very special way, based upon a special request by Past Commander Louis D. Ulino and Post Commander Padraic P. Nugent, who felt that a permanent memorial should be erected honoring all the deceased members of Massapequa Post 1066, the POWs/MIAs, and all the men and women of the armed forces who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country, so that others may live in peace," the letter notes.

Plans for the memorial are the culmination of a dream that Ulino has had for several years. He noted that he first thought of the idea in 1967, but that it did not develop at that time due to a lack of funds. "It was always in the back of my mind. Then, just back in September, I approached the commander about it, and he thought it was a fantastic idea," he explained.

A communitywide effort is under way to reach the goal, according to Ulino, who described how the memorial will be in the spotlight on Memorial Day. The unveiling of the memorial will take place immediately following the local Memorial Day Parade, which the Massapequa American Legion Post has the honor of hosting this year, in conjunction with the Massapequa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars (Sergeant Peter F. Colleran VFW Post 7763). Those expected to be in attendance at the May 28 event include: post members, veterans groups, auxiliary members, widows, Gold Star mothers (mothers of those killed in military service), town and county officials, fraternal organizations, business owners of Massapequa, Massapequa Park and Seaford, news media, and local families.

The veterans monument will feature three granite stones. One stone will be dedicated to the POWs and MIAs, one is for the deceased members of the armed forces, and another for the deceased members of the post. A plaque with the names of all contributors to the memorial fund will be displayed on the monument site. To recognize the donors, the post has set up the following categories of contribution: Grand Benefactors ($250 and higher), Benefactors ($100 and higher), Patrons ($26 to $99), Friends ($5 to $25). Those who wish to contribute to the fund may make checks payable to Massapequa Post 1066, and send them to: Past Commander Louis D. Ulino, Memorial Chairman, 297 North Boston Avenue, North Massapequa, New York, 11758.

"We're trying to raise funds through the community. All the merchants in the community, and also our own members have been contributing to it, and we're not really close to that 30, and that's why I wanted to see if the community would get involved in it," said Ulino. "Any help the community can give us would be greatly appreciated."