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Mostly Cloudy Salvatore Spinicchia
Veteran serves community without seeking spotlight
Salvatore Spinicchia has fought in two wars, but may be better known for his efforts to help fellow veterans and neighbors.
Spinicchia, 82, is the Herald’s 2009 Person of the Year, honored for his decades of service to the community. He is a longtime member of VFW Post 1790, American Legion Post 854 and the Marine Corps League Western Long Island Detachment. He also volunteers with the Holy Name of Mary parish outreach center and is a former fire chief.
Joe Morando, commander of the Valley Stream VFW, said that Spinicchia has never been an officer in the post, yet is still one of its most active members. He is in charge of properly disposing of worn and tattered American flags, and visits veterans at the V.A. hospital in St. Albans, Queens. The man who once considered becoming a priest also serves as chaplain at services for deceased members.
“If you want a job done, give it to a Marine,” Morando said of Spinicchia, who served in World War II and the Korean War.
Morando explained that Spinicchia is a life member of the VFW, and there are only two ways to become one — buy the membership or earn it. “Sal was awarded the life membership,” Morando said. “That means he worked for it.”
This past year, Spinicchia paid for a new monument for the veterans memorial area at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. The black granite stone pays tribute to four chaplains who sacrificed their lives to help other soldiers during the sinking of the USAT Dorchester on Feb. 3, 1943.
The monument was dedicated during the annual Nassau County Veterans Day service in November. Spinicchia will not say how much it cost. “The money’s not the thing,” he said. “Being a man of faith, this is something I wanted to do.”
It was not the first time he has worked behind the scenes for the creation of a veterans memorial. Several years ago there was a successful effort to add the names of all Valley Stream residents who have died in combat to the monument at Hicks Street and Valley Stream Boulevard. According to Morando, Spinicchia generated a list of all local businesses to seek donations from. He even addressed all the envelopes himself.
