Navy Vet Dan Kaufman with Ardsley Girl Scouts
L-R Alison Bergman, Ardsley Girl Scouts leader; Bernie Granite, veteran honoree; Sharon Colabello, lead organizer of the Ardsley Military Tribute Banners program and Ardsley Mayor Nancy Kaboolian
The Ardsley Girl Scouts recently held their inaugural Veterans Day Military Tribute Banner Walk.
In a moving ceremony,12 Ardsley veterans whose Military Tribute Banners are among Ardsley’s 130 banners that are displayed on poles throughout the village in November, were honored. The 12 banners are clustered in a short walking distance in the Village’s commercial hub.
Under the Military Tribute Banners of the honorees, a group of Girl Scouts learned about the military service and lives of the 12 who served in the U.S. armed forces. They heard from the children and other relatives and friends who spoke on behalf of their loved ones, several of whom have passed. The honored veterans included six who served in World War II, five who served during the Korean War and one who has been serving since 2018. (see attached list of honorees).
Highlights the ceremony included remarks by Bernie Granite who was the only veteran of the 12 honorees who spoke for himself (he served as a medic with the U.S. Army during the Korean War) and Dan Kaufman, the son of parents who both served during World War II—Dan Kaufman (U.S. Navy) and Dorothy Kaufman, who enlisted in the WAVES.
The son spoke eloquently about his Greatest Generation parents and the incredible sacrifices that generation made, many with their lives, to defeat the evil axis powers and assure the survival of freedom in America and the world over. He also proudly told the Girl Scouts that his mother was a life-long Girl Scout, a commitment that spanned more than 80 years.
In addition to family members and friends of the honored veterans, guests included Ardsley Mayor Nancy Kaboolian and other village officials; Alison Bergman, longtime leader of the Ardsley Girl Scouts; Sharon Colabello, lead organizer of the Ardsley Military Tribute Banners initiative, now in its third year; Efrain Hernandez, Commander of Ardsley Post 458; Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner; Ardsley veterans and residents, among others.
The Ardsley Girl Scouts, who each year deliver Girl Scouts cookies and customized cards of appreciation to village veterans on Veterans Day, plan on continuing their new tradition with future Veterans Day Honor Banner Walks.
