After serving overseas and retiring as a medical school administrator, Vietnam veteran Jerald Tedeschi now dedicates his time volunteering in the community.
“I waited until I retired to start volunteering and now I’m very active,” Tedeschi said.
Tedeschi is chairman of the Port Washington Henderson-Marino Post 1819 House Committee and spends many hours overseeing the refurbishing and maintenance of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Henderson-Marino Post 1819, located at 29 Mohegan Ave. in Port Washington.
Tedeschi will be honored as grand marshal, along with Vietnam veteran Leon Jankowski, at this year’s Memorial Day Parade.
“I’m looking forward to the parade,” Tedeschi said. “I’m flattered that I was chosen.”
The Port Washington Memorial Day parade will be held at 10 a.m. on May 30 on Port Washington Boulevard and Main Street.
The parade will continue down Main Street to the John Philip Sousa Memorial Bandshell in Sunset Park.
The event is sponsored by American Legion Post 509 and VFW Post 1819.
Tedeschi said he was approached by Veterans of Foreign Wars Henderson-Marino Post 1819 Quartermaster Peter Ripullone to be the grand marshal.
“They asked me before and I was reluctant and thought other people should go before me that have been there longer,” Tedeschi said.
“They said because of all the work I do and thought I had done an exceptional job,” he added.
Long before arriving in Port Washington, Tedeschi enlisted in the Army in January 1969 while in graduate school after graduating from St. John’s University.
After arriving in Vietnam in November 1969, Tedeschi was assigned to A Company, 7th Engineer Battalion, First Division, Fifth Mechanized Infantry Division, he said.
He served 10 months stateside at Fort Dix, N.J., Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and Fort Belvoir, Va. After completing his combat engineer training in the states, he was deployed to Vietnam for one year.
Tedeschi was stationed at Quang Tri Combat Base, I Corps, which was located seven miles south of the demilitarized zone.
Tedeschi said his initial duties in Vietnam included working in the bridge platoon, assisting in the construction of a command bunker for the commanding general of the division and maintenance of pontoons on a heavy duty float that would be used in the event the Quang Tri River Bridge was destroyed by the North Vietnamese Army or Vietcong.
After six months, Tedeschi said, he was reassigned to the communication section of headquarter platoon as a radio transmitter operator, and eventually appointed communications chief and promoted Sergeant (E-5). As communication chief, Tedeschi was responsible for the installation of radio equipment in company vehicles. He supervised a communication technician and the day and night radio transmitter operators.
Tedeschi received six awards for his military service: Bronze Star for Meritorious Service, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal and two New York State awards: Conspicuous Service Star and Medal of Merit.
After leaving Vietnam, he served in the Army Reserves for four years.
While working full time, he completed two master’s degrees.
The first degree was from C. W. Post in Biology and the second degree was in Hospital Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
After military service, Tedeschi married a Port Washington School District music teacher/band director Deborah (Tanza) Tedeschi. They have two sons, a daughter-in-law and one grandchild.
Tedeschi is retired and said he enjoys boating and traveling with family and friends. Debbie, also retired, is the official Post Webmaster and photographer.
