Honoring our veterans: Those who served, then and now

In honor of Veterans Day, the Herald worked with Peter Johansen, adjutant of the American Legion Cathedral Post 1087 in West Hempstead, and John Hassett, commander of the American Legion Malverne Post 44, to compile photos and biographies of several local veterans. Each veteran provided some biographical information about himself and his service, as well as photos from his days in the service and a current photo.

WEST HEMPSTEAD, CATHEDRAL POST 1087

Charles Forzano

Age: 68
Age when enlisted: 19
Years of service: Four
Location of service: Langley Air Force Base, Va.
Duty: United States Air Force, E4 Airman First Class, Personal Records 
Hometown: West Hempstead
Family: Married 41 years, two children, one grandchild
Education: Adelphi University
Career: Gruman Corporation, 27 years

Vietnam War veteran Charles Forzano has lived in West Hempstead for more than 50 years. In 1963, he entered the United States Air Force at the age of 19, and spent the following four years of his service time at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia working clerical duties. In 1967, Forzano left the service and took a job with Gruman Corporation, where he remained for nearly three decades. Forzano has been married for 41 years and has two children and one grandchild. He is also the newest member of the American Legion Cathedral Post 1087 in West Hempstead, having joined the organization last month.

Meade Torre

         
Age: 88
Age when enlisted: 18
Years of service: Three
Location of service: All over the Pacific and Japan
Duty: United States Air Force, Sergeant
Hometown: West Hempstead
Family: Married 62 years, four children, four grandchildren
Education: City College of New York, bachelor’s degree in accounting
Career: Accountant

World War Two veteran Meade Torre has been a West Hempstead resident for 57 years. Originally from Brooklyn, Torre joined the U.S. Air Force at the age of 18 in 1942. As the United States military moved across the Pacific, Torre was in the vanguard as member of an air reconnaissance unit. Among the most memorable events he witnessed was that of paratroopers being dropped to retake the airfields in the Philippines and kamikaze pilots going after ships in the battle of Leyete Gulf. After the war, Meade received an accounting degree from the City College of New York and had a successful career as an accountant. Torre and his wife, Carmen, have been married for 62 years. They have four children and four grandchildren. Torre has been a member of the American Legion for 63 years and has served as a commander at Post 1087.