Former VFW post in Westbury lives on as museum for military artifacts

Joseph Iannucci felt sad when his local Veterans of Foreign Wars post donated its building, a place filled with sentiments and memories, to Westbury Village six years ago.

But on Wednesday, also Veterans Day, the 97-year-old World War II veteran saw the village had turned it into a museum and was glad to know a part of history is here to stay.

Iannucci, of Rockville Centre, was one of dozens of veterans, family members and officials who attended a grand opening of new exhibits unveiled at the Westbury Military Historical Collection on Maple Avenue.

Iannucci, accompanied by his two sons, toured the site with more than 100 war-related artifacts, including one wall with 1,362 names. Some names were listed next to a gold star, signifying the person died in combat.

"I find it to be really powerful to see that the families … and people from all walks of life all had significant roles in the war effort," said one of Iannucci’s sons, Joe, of Cold Spring Harbor, 68, as he stood in front of the wall that bore his father’s name. "It always moves me."

The wall was erected during World War II and once stood outdoors before it was moved into the building that housed the Cpl. James F. Walsh VFW Post 945, village officials said.

As the years went by, members of the post dwindled. Like posts across the nation, member deaths and low enrollment plagued traditional veterans groups like the American Legion and the VFW, prompting the Westbury post to gift the structure to the village.

"The members were, and some of them are here, concerned about this building being lost like so many other posts," Mayor Peter Cavallaro said Wednesday. "Many of these buildings had been sold off for a variety of reasons. But we and the members of VFW did not want that to happen to this building."

The village took over the building in 2014 and started soliciting items from the community for its collection.

One of the donors was Patricia Ringkamp, who was in elementary school when WWII broke out. She donated a number of items for the "American Home Front" exhibit.

"It was a collection of things I was sentimental about because it was part of my childhood," said Ringkamp, 88, of East Meadow. "I feel very proud and happy that I kept it all."

Her son, Richard Ringkamp, 59, thought of his father Richard, a Navy veteran who died in June.

"He was an honorable man," said his son, who lives on the North Fork. "When we did the Pledge of Allegiance, I got choked up [because] of the unity and hearing everyone saying it at the same time."

Wednesday also marked an emotional day for village trustee Steve Corte. He thought of his late father, Louis, who was the last commander of the VFW post.

"That was their clubhouse," Corte said. "This is where they gathered. This is where they hung out. As kids, we grew up here," he added, choking up as he spoke. "It’s our history. It’s our life."