MANCHESTER – A new addition came to Leisure Knoll recently thanks to the adult community’s Veterans Club. A well-attended dedication ceremony was held in front of the Leisure Knoll Clubhouse to welcome it.
The unveiling of a new veteran’s monument in front of 14 Lambeth Lane by the community’s flag pole was celebrated with speeches, music and refreshments afterward.
Veterans Club President Michael Magliocco told The Manchester Times it took around a year to get the stone memorial made by Thomas Monuments to the point of its dedication. Magliocco said he and his vice president worked on the project and it took them about 12-13 months to get this off the ground.
“We got the approval for it through our Board of Trustees in the community and we went out to look for a memorial. It is a very nice memorial that has the American flag on it on top, the POW flag on the top and all the branches of the service beneath including the Space Force,” he said. “In addition to this we are in the process of adding pavers with veterans’ names on them.
During the ceremony, which began with the Honor Guard marching in front of the monument, Magliocco noted that the memorial would serve to “honor those who have passed through these gates and will pass through these gates. God bless all veterans. I want to thank the people of Leisure Knoll. This would not be possible without the people of this community.”
“I want to thank everyone here and everyone who contributed to make this day possible,” Veterans Club Vice President Jimmy Mack said.
Nick Castro came all the way from Staten Island for the occasion. He wrote, composed and sang the veterans tribute song “Honor Them All” that Magliocco told the audience is played “every time we have a ceremony.”
“Mike and I go back a long way. One thing about Mike, when he wants to get something done, it gets done and don’t get in his way because it is still going to get done,” Castro remarked.
Councilman James Vaccaro spoke in place of Mayor Joseph Hankins who due to work reasons arrived later. Vaccaro said, “today is a great historic day for your community and the Leisure Knoll Veterans Club that is celebrating the unveiling of a veterans memorial recognizing and honoring those veterans who gave service to our country and protected our democracy and freedoms we now enjoy.”
Mayor Hankins told the audience, “This is certainly an important day. I want to thank everyone for this service.”
Bill Schmidt who spoke on behalf of the Tin Can Sailors and Vietnam Veterans of America Post 421 quoted some distinguished military figures such as General George Patton who said, “it is a proud privilege to be a soldier, a good soldier with discipline, self-respect, pride in his unit and his country.” Patrick Henry said, “if we wish to be free, we must fight for it.”
The Whiting resident and Navy veteran shared what he would say, “America is worth fighting for and it lets freedom ring loud. This is a great country that we live in.”
Also in attendance were Councilwomen Michele Zolezi and Sandy Drake, and Leisure Knoll Home Owners Association President Pete Marottoli. Father Jim O’Neill of Saint John’s Catholic Church of Lakehurst provided the opening and closing prayers and conducted the blessing of the monument.
Jeff Sagnip, director of communications for 4th District Congressman Chris Smith, presented Magliocco with an American flag that had flown over the capital.
“I had the honor of welcoming my own son from a deployment last night. I was going to bring him this morning but he is out celebrating with his brother and sister so I brought along his challenge coin that he gave me that I carry around,” Sagnip said.
12th District Senator Owen Henry said of veterans, “we are eternally indebted to them and their families. God bless Manchester and God bless Leisure Knoll.”
The Veterans Club was founded by Magliocco in 2012. It originally had more than 100 members.
“I currently have one of the best executive boards and Board of Trustees that I ever had. We had World War II veterans, Korean War veterans and Vietnam veterans. We may have a couple of Iraq veterans,” he added.
“We have a Memorial Day ceremony, a 9/11 ceremony, a POW/MIA ceremony, a Veterans Day ceremony and we are the honor guard during wakes for veterans at Anderson & Campbell and Oliverie’s funeral parlors. They call us up and we do the wake at no charge.”
