Town salutes veterans with banners

By JEFF MORRIS

Tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 20, at 10 a.m., there will be a brief ceremony to officially unveil the military tribute banners that have been installed along the walk/bike path on Route 117.

The banners extend from Cherry Street in Bedford Hills, up through Harris Road in Katonah.

“I’m really pleased that we were able to bring it to fruition,” Town Supervisor Ellen Calves said. “It’s all to recognize residents who are veterans or in active military service.”

In May, the Town Board approved an easement agreement with NYSEG to allow the town to install brackets for the banners on utility poles.

Calves said Veterans Committee Chair Clark Petschek had managed the project, collecting names of residents who wished to be included, and soliciting donations from the town. She said Petschek and Chief of Staff Lisa Burke had worked on the design of the banners, and thanked Department of Public Works Commissioner Kevin Winn for arranging with a town contractor with a bucket truck to get them put up. 

There are 42 banners in total. They are of a high-quality material and are double-sided, and will include information on each person’s service. 

The banners do not include photos. Petscheck had said he got a lot of pushback from veterans who did not want photos included; Calves said there was also an issue with varying quality of photos that made their inclusion impractical.

Unlike some other towns that have installed veterans banners on private property, Calves said, or have hired outside firms to manage the process, the town of Bedford handled it all, and arranged to display the banners on the public right-of-way. 

The banners will remain on display through Veterans Day. Calves said they will then be taken down and evaluated for wear, with the possibility of installing them again next year.

In the meantime, they will be visible to anyone on the walking path, as well as from vehicular traffic.

List of Bedford military banners

Bergson, Henry— Army, 1967-1970

Carleton, Kyle—Navy, 2022-present

Carlsen, Guy—Army, 1969-1971

Cohen, John —Army, 2016-2024

Conklin, Christian — Air Force, 2003-2008

Detmer, Robert —Army 1966-1968

Enterlein, Tom —Air Force 962-1965

Gyug, John R. —Army 1966-1969

Hofmiller Jr., Matthew T. — Navy 1998-2004

Hopf, John R. — USMC 2025-present

Jones, Richard — Army 1983-1989

Jordan, George — Army 1966-1968

Kucerak, Steven — Army 1966-1969

Lawton, John Quincy — Coast Guard 2002-present

Levine, Clyde — Air Force 1969-1975

Maksimyadis, Lisa — Army 2005-2007

Matteo, Mike— Air Force 2001-2009

Maxmin, Chris — USMC 1986-1992

McCann, Donald — Air Force 1950-1954

Mullen, Connor — Army 2018-present

Muti, Jeffrey — Navy 1987-1991

Nagle, Frederick — Army 1968-1971

Neuburger, Daniel — Space Force 2020-present

Newman, Grace — Army 2014-2020

Newman, Gregory — Army 2017-2023

Newman, Kathleen — Army 2021-present

Newman, Thomas — Army 2014-2024

Newman, Thomas A. — Army 1972-1995

Palladino, Mike — Air Force 2001-2007

Petschek, Clark — Army 1992-2000

Phelps, Gerald — Army 1968-1974

Platt, Steve — Army 1995-2000

Polos, James — Army 1967-1972

Rosamond, George — Army 1965-1968

Sevillano, Aaron — USMC 2005-2014

Spadino, Erminio — Navy 1969-1971

Suda, William Robert — Army 1952-1953

Trinkle, Michael — Air Force 1965-1969

Turner, Larry — Army 1966-1971

Villani, Salvatore — Air Force 1999-2005