Vets remembered for their service

Bryan Ahrens

For George Dormoni, the memory of going to war and coming home remains fresh in his mind more than 70 years later.

“We passed the Statue of Liberty on our way out to sea and we cried,” Dormoni said. “We passed it again coming home two years later and we cried again.”

Dormoni, who has been a member of the American Legion for 55 years, was honored Tuesday by the Village of New Hyde during a Veterans Day ceremony in front of Village Hall.

“We thank you, sincerely, we thank you for your time,” New Hyde Park Mayor Robert Lofaro said.

American Legion Post commander John McGuire awarded Dormoni with the position of Grand Marshall for 2014, a position that has never been appointed in the Legion, McGuire said.

“I’m proud to be an American,” Dormoni said in response to the recognition of his service. “God bless you all, God bless America.”

“It’s such an honor being Grand Marshall, he added. “A terrific honor.”

Following the ceremony, Dormoni recounted his time spent in service from 1943 when he was drafted into the A.A.A. Gun Battalion, to 1945 when he arrived home.

“Every day there would be German planes flying over us, harassing us,” Dormoni said of his time in Normandy. “It was never an easy moment.”

Dormoni spoke of how he shot down a German plane in a Normandy field, armed only with a .50 caliber machine gun.

“They were firing at me, I could see the bullets hitting the dirt around me,” he said. “I was taught in basic training never to run when being fired at, but to fire back.” 

Dormoni said the enemy officer flew close enough to see him visually, and saluted him from inside the plane.

“It was either he gets me or I get him,” Dormoni said. “I fired at him and his plane went down.”

During his time overseas, Dormoni kept a small leather book with him to document the more than 40 locations he traveled during his two years, which he calls his “Army Odyssey.”

“We moved from place to place very often,” Dormoni said.

Throughout his deployment Dormoni was awarded five campaign stars, including one for the Normandy Invasion as well as The Battle of the Bulge. 

Dormoni also earned a World War II Victory Medal as well as a Good Conduct Medal.

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