Girl Scouts Visit & Thank Over 600 Local Vets

by Pat Allen

(November 14, 2007) Most school children see Veteran’s Day as simply a day off from school or a chance to do some shopping. However, girls from 20 Girl Scout troops in Larchmont and Mamaroneck took Veteran’s Day to heart this year and spent the day honoring local veterans with a visit and gift.

The girls started this project in early October, making over 600 “door hangers” for delivery to veterans. They decorated them with patriotic stickers and wrote messages of thanks. Each door hanger contained a special pencil imprinted with a thank you message as well as a letter which read:

This is the third year that the Girl Scouts have undertaken this project. “We really do our best to reach as many veterans as possible,” said Cathy Bennett, volunteer community chair for the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Girl Scouts. “With about 630 veterans in Larchmont and Mamaroneck, it’s a big job, but the veterans appreciate it tremendously, and the girls learn so much that it’s worth all of the effort.”

Bernadette Tyler, a Brownie leader at Mamaroneck Avenue School, commented that she and her daughters Hayley and Darcy had a great experience and particularly enjoyed chatting with one veteran, Anthony Marsella. “He's 83-years-old and served in WWII. His brother did also, but did not return,” she explained. As the scouts visited with Mr. Marsella, they noticed the memorial he has on the fence in front of his house. It has a "99" inside a star. “It commemorates the 99 Larchmont/Mamaroneck vets who did not return from WWII,” Ms. Tyler said.

Another veteran, Malcolm Shaker, took time to give the 7th graders from Cadette Troop 2522 a little history lesson on the origins of Veteran’s Day. He explained that the holiday was originally called Armistice Day and started as a celebration of the end of World War I.

Veteran Malcolm Shaker provided an improptu history lesson for his cadette visitors.

Fred Rosenberg welcomed a group of Brownie Girl Scouts from Troop 1830 and showed them an old flag with 48 stars.

Veteran Fred Rosenberg shared an old "Old Glory" with the Brownies.

The girls also visited a number of widows of veterans, who expressed appreciation that their spouses continued to be honored. Mary Ann Curtin wrote, “When I came home today, I found a " thank you" hanging on my doorknob. It was for my husband who had served in the U.S. Army. The Girl Scouts have been bringing him a thank you every Veteran's Day for the past two or three years. He was always so pleased and grateful for your message. It made the Day very special for him. My husband died this summer, so I will keep the memento and remember him and how much he enjoyed being remembered.”

Marie Kelton, the widow of a veteran appreciated the scouts continuing to honor her husband.

Throughout the day, girls heard many stories from the veterans about: sleeping in foxholes, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, being a high speed radio operator in the Marine Corps, flying airplanes in the Korean War, the difficulty in coming back home after serving in Vietnam and how great it was to receive Girl Scout cookies while being stationed in Iraq.

WWII veteran Bob Haber served with the 518 Anti-Aircraft Battalion in the Pacific and spent a lot of time working with radar and photography in a dark room. Photography is still a hobby - his camera was used to take this photo.

“This is truly a learning experience for the girls” noted Ms. Bennett, “and by visiting these brave men and women and hearing their stories I feel like we get to know the veterans in our community a little bit better each year. They are truly an exceptional group of citizens that deserves to be honored and remembered.”

If you know of veterans in Larchmont-Mamaroneck who did not receive a gift from the Girl Scouts, please forward their names and addresses to maryhill@optonline.net.

Pat Allen is a troop leader and volunteer community chair for the Girl Scouts of Larchmont-Mamaroneck.

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