Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (8th Senate District) recently had the opportunity to host and congratulate Massapequa resident Harold Nelson for receiving the Conspicuous Service Cross for his service to the United States during WWII.

The Conspicuous Service Cross is awarded by New York State to honor those veterans whose service to the country was of high standard and honorable demeanor. A recipient must have either received one of a select group of high military honors or have satisfied some other criteria to receive the honor.

Nelson, who was in the United States Army from 1944 to 1946, was an infantryman and concluded his military service as a Private 1st Class. He had previously been awarded the Bronze Star, the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the WWII Victory Medal and the Occupation of Germany Medal.

"It is an honor to be able to pay tribute to Mr. Nelson, who gave so much of himself for this country," said Fuschillo. "This presentation further demonstrates the respect and admiration the rest of the country has for what he did for all of us."

Currently, Fuschillo is accepting applicants for any of the current awards offered by New York State. Any veteran who would like more information about the awards available should contact Fuschillo's office at 546-4100 or on the web at www.senatorfuschillo.com.