Rockaway Memorial 
Hall Of Honor

Those Who Fought In Vietnam Came Home To A Country In Turmoil. We Did Not Properly Thank Them For Their Service To The Country They Fought And In Many Cases, Died For.

Honor The Veterans Of Vietnam, World War II, And Of All Foreign Wars. We Live In Freedom Because Of Their Sacrifice.

The following is a list of our Rockaway classmates who made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. This page, in some small way, tries to honor their memory.

Veterans Of Vietnam

Howard Gerstel, Class of 1956 - Died October 4, 1967 in Binh Duong Province, Viet Nam - Photo courtesy of Rockaway Memories website

Walter Wetzel, Class of 1962 - Died as a result of hostile fire

William Doran, born 1/21/47 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway

Peter Chase was killed while serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War

Steven Goldstein, born 8/10/45 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway - Click Here to see Steven's name on the memorial wall.  Photo sent in by Ed Mutchnick, Class of 1963.  Thanks Ed.
The
following info about him was obtained from the Vietnam War Memorial Website.  PFC - E3 - Army - Selective Service - 25th Infantry Division.  Length of service 0 years.  His tour began on Feb 15, 1968.  Casualty was on Feb 26, 1968 in Hua Nghia, South Vietnam.  Hostile, ground casualty, small arms fire.  Body was recovered.  Panel 41E - Line 38
   Click Here to view Steven's headstone

William Hayes, born 9/9/48 - U.S. Army - Rockaway Beach

Gary Morris, born 2/2/47 - U.S. Army - Rockaway Beach

Elbert Hubschmitt, born 10/14/41 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway

Cosmo Pacetta, born 10/4/45 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway - Click Here to view Cosmo's headstone

Joseph Silon, born 3/27/52 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway

Michael Elflein, born 6/9/44 - U.S. Marines - Far Rockaway

Edward Johnson, born 9/4/48 - U.S. Army - Rockaway

Dennis DeMichael, born 12/27/46 - U.S. Army - Rockaway

Miguel Valentine, born 2/14/43 - U.S. Marines - Rockaway Beach

Willie Washington, born 6/15/50 - U.S. Marines - Rockaway

Howard Gerstel, born 3/18/39 - U.S. Army - Far Rockaway

Frankie Florio, Class of  1966 - U.S. Marine Corps - Killed in action in Viet Nam in 1967

John M. McGonigle - Army - Killed in Action on May 16, 1968

Edward Joseph Zewert, Jr. - 3-506th Infantry (Currahees) of the 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles)
Killed in Action on April 26, 1968

George Gierak - Class of 1958 - U.S. Navy - R.I.O (Radar Intercept Operator) when he caught a SAM missile at 3,000 feet in Vietnam.

LLet us not forget Corporal Michael Fredrick Elflein, casualty of the Vietnam War. As a member of the Marine Corps, CPL Elflein served our country until August 31st, 1967 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam. He was 23 years old and was not married. Michael died from multiple fragmentation wounds/mine. His body was recovered. Michael was born on June 9th, 1944 in Far Rockaway, New York. CPL Elflein is on panel 25E, line 073 of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. He served our country for one year.

Veterans Of World War II



Alan Evans, Class of 1940
He was in the Army Air Corps and was shot down during the Italian campaign on January 3, 1943.  He is buried at the U.S. military cemetery in Italy.

Danny Gasch, Class of 1942 - born May 17, 1924, killed in action November 25, 1944.
He was a scout in the infantry, fighting in the Vosges Mountains in France.

Richard Davis, Class of 1942 - born 2/11/24 Killed in Action at the age of 20.
8th Air Force; European Theater

Arthur A. Amron - Army - Killed in Action on June 10, 1943

Francis T. Acton - Navy - Killed in Action on October 30, 1944

Leonard A. Benjamin - Army - Killed in Action on October 15, 1942

Harold Blanthorn - Air Corps - Killed in Action on April 15, 1944

Cornelius M. Calpin - Navy - Killed in Action on January 12, 1944

John E. Corrigan - Army - Killed in Action on January 22, 1944

Richard H. Davis - Air Corps - Killed in Action on October 18, 1944

My dear brother Richard Davis was in the 8th Air Force fighting in World War II.  He was a Navigator, killed in action, while returning from  a bombing mission over Berlin in 1944, on his 11th mission.  He was a graduate of FRHS class of 1942. Dead at the age of 20.  Mourned by his sister, Sue, class of 1947, and a grateful nation.

Henry J. Dehnert - Army - Killed in Action on October 11, 1944
I came across the amazing Hall of Honor listed on your alumni website. What a great way to remember those who have served our country.  I came across the name Henry J. Dehnert listed with the WWII veterans and wondered if he still has family in the area. I believe he may have gone to Columbia University with my dad. In fact, dad actually spoke about "Dutch Dehnert" at an awards dinner at Columbia this week, which happened to fall on Veterans' Day. Dad told how Dutch went overseas to serve with the army in Europe, while dad went with the navy to Japanese territory. When dad came home on leave, the first thing he did was go to Columbia to find his friend Dutch, only to find out that he had been killed in action.  I think it would be amazing if Dad could touch base with Dutch's family. If you have any information that would be helpful in contacting them, I would greatly appreciate it if you would send it to me.  Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.  Jane Heron  jmdh85@optonline.net
 

Frank Dorie

Alan Evans - Army - Killed in Action on January 3, 1943

Aronld P. Fox - Army - Killed in Action on February 14, 1943

Herbert Hopfenberg - Army - Killed in Action on May 2, 1944

George P. Hummel

John Kehoe

Austin W. Kelly, Jr. - Navy - Killed in Action on May 21, 1943

James P. Kenny - Army - Killed in Action on February 27, 1944

Leonard Kram - Navy - Killed in Action on February 27, 1942

John M. Lewis, Jr. - Army - Killed in Action on August 9, 1945

Thomas McArdle - Army - Killed in Action on August 8, 1944

Miles McPartland

Bernard Meehan - Army - Killed in Action on December 18, 1943

James F. O'Brien - Air Corps - Killed in Action on May 20, 1945

Vincent W. O'Keefe - Navy - Killed in Action on January 7, 1944

Dennis Pescod

Harold W. Roberts - Army - Killed in Action on June 12, 1944

George P. Rolly - Air Corps - Killed in Action on April 7, 1943

Stanley Rose

Jules D. Schlichter - Army - Killed in Action on June 6, 1944

Donald R. Schneider - Army - January 8, 1943

Martin Schwartz

Louis Seidman - Army - August 18, 1944

Murray Seiff - Marine Corps - Killed in Action on October 18, 1942

Donald W. Selz - Army - Killed in Action on September 7, 1943

Herbert Springer - Air Corps - Killed in Action on April 14, 1944

Joseph L. Thier - Air Corps - Killed in Action on June 15, 1943

Alvin S. Weiss - Air Corps - Killed in Action on September 12, 1944

Bernard H. Wiener - Army - Killed in Action on December 15, 1943

George Williams - Air Corps - Killed in Action on June 8, 1942

Arthur Ziegler - Army - Jan. 2, 1945
 

Thanks so much to Jerry Shapiro for suggesting this memorial page and for sending the first names. Thanks also to those of you who have added to this list.  If you know of others whose name should appear on this page, please send it to me.

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