Bay Shore auction, dinner a salute to service of military vets

Like many American military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, David Medina had difficulty getting comfortable in large crowds, or even running an errand to a public place.

Then he met Lombard.

Medina, who served in the Army during the Iraq War, said he was "down in the dumps" until 2014, when the yellow Labrador retriever came into his life as his first service dog.

"When I got paired with Lombard, all my hopes came back," said Medina, who grew up in Central Islip and now lives in Jacksonville, Florida.

On Wednesday night, Medina was among five military veterans, dating back to World War II, who were honored, one posthumously, at Captain Bill's, a restaurant in Bay Shore. It was sponsored by the nonprofit Canine Companions, a national organization with a Northeast region office in Medford that trains service dogs and pairs them with adults and children with differing abilities.

Four of the five vets attended the ceremony, the 13th where the organization has given awards for outstanding service. The event, held in recognition of Veterans Day on Monday, also included a "Salute Independence" auction to raise money to support the nation's vets.

"This particular program for veterans that we’re raising funds for this evening is for veterans that have post-traumatic stress disorder," said Debra Dougherty, the executive director of the nonprofit's Medford office. Dougherty added that a veteran’s service animal can "help them mitigate the symptoms of their PTSD and help them regain independence."

For Medina's wife, Lymarie, her husband has had "an amazing transformation" since first getting Lombard, who died in 2022, and now Kellen, a black Labrador retriever.

"Just to see him light up when he has a dog by his side is amazing," she said. "When you see someone, and the lights are out, you can see the darkness within them. But when you see them light up it's like you really see them ... It’s what the dog does for him."

Each year, the nonprofit’s nomination committee seeks local or formerly local veterans who served in the nation’s armed forces and conflicts, from World War II to the Iraq War. 

"I don’t think I should get it, per se," said Medina, of the award he received fashioned as a bronze-colored bald eagle. Medina said he was wounded in combat during a mission behind enemy lines in Iraq in 2010 but downplayed his actions.

"I just signed up like everybody else," he said.

The evening’s other honorees included World War II Army veteran Eugene Zanger, who was recognized posthumously, World War II Coast Guard veteran Warren James of Fire Island, Vietnam War Army veteran Jack Baker of Bay Shore and retired Navy Capt. John C. Cochrane, a former Town of Islip councilmember who now serves on the town’s veterans advisory board.

"It’s one of the best feelings in the world," Baker said of being at an event designed to bring together and honor veterans. "I’m so honored to represent all the veterans who have gone before us."