Long Island Veterans Home honors the men and women who served in Stony Brook ceremony

Carol Ogg, 81, of Sound Beach never questioned going to serve in Vietnam.

As one of about 10,000 women to be deployed during the war, she said she felt it was her duty to serve her country and brave combat, even though she was not an active combatant.

"I expected it of myself and I didn’t need anyone telling me to go," she said Friday after a Veterans Day ceremony at the Long Island State Veterans Home at Stony Brook University, in which she was honored along with nearly 100 other veterans. "It was just what you had to do."

She is still modest about the recognition for her service, especially after she said soldiers were told to hide their uniforms upon returning home to anti-war protesters.

Ogg served 21 years with the U.S. Army, starting as a trombone player with the Women’s Army Corps band. She was deployed to Vietnam with the 509th Radio Research Group. She said he was asked to help record the history of the war and Army’s mission.

"But then it went classified and no one could read it anyway," she said.

The veterans honored Friday attended a ceremony at the 350-bed nursing home and adult day care center that pairs veterans with nursing services and veterans affairs.

"You know that Veterans Day is not just another date on the calendar. It's a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made by our veterans, regardless of what generation or uniform they wore," said Robert Smith, U.S. Navy Veteran and chairman of the veterans home advisory board. "Many veterans sustained physical and mental disabilities, which made the transition back to civilian life that much more difficult. ... But if they learned anything while serving in the military, it was how to prevail, and so they did."

Suffolk County lawmakers, including County Executive Edward P. Romaine, thanked veterans for their service and vowed to never leave any of them behind. Suffolk Legis. Chad Lennon said the county is home to the largest veteran population in New York State.

The veterans home bestowed their distinguished service award on John M. LaSpina, president of Maple Family Bowling Centers, which raised $750,000 for veterans through charity and the organization Bowlers to Veterans’ Link. The charity has raised $57 million since 1942.

LaSpina was recognized for his work and funding of a virtual reality system at the Long Island State Veterans Home to treat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The technology was expanded to serve 100 other veterans homes around the country, said Fred Sganga, executive director of the Long Island Veterans Home.

LaSpina was also given a flag by Rep. Nick LaLota’s office that had flown over the U.S. Capitol.

"This place does wonderful things for our heroes. God bless you all. You are our true heroes," LaSpina told veterans Friday.

Vietnam veteran Jerry George, 75, of Queens Village, said he met LaSpina while bowling in Rockville Centre, and their friendship helped him deal with the traumas of war.

"When I came home, I didn’t talk about it and we were not considered heroes. It was a different period and I just went back to work," he said. "John LaSpina has helped raise money every year and there’s no greater advocate for veterans."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.