Veteran hurler tosses first pitch

Two years ago, Joe Dzikas had a thought: World War II and Vietnam War veterans were passing away, and Dzikas believed they were not getting the recognition they deserved.

So Dzikas, the commissioner for the Major’s Boys Division in the North Riverdale Little League — and a veteran of the Vietnam and Iraq wars — went to a friend to correct that.

Dzikas sought the help of Jim Campbell, the com-

mander of the American Legion Post 1525 — a veterans service organization in Riverdale — to bring a memorial service to the NRLL for the fallen heroes of the United States, as well as those who served and survived.

Last Saturday, it officially became a yearly event as NRLL celebrated its second annual “A Salute to Our Armed Services,” where it honored veterans for their service to America.

“I think it’s important we recognize the men and women in the military, all your first responders, the people who go out every day and keep us safe,” Dzikas said. “I think it’s coming back a little bit where people are appreciating the military a little more.”

Dzikas, who has been involved with the NRLL for 20 years, thought of the numerous veterans who never received their proper recognition, and those who were in danger of passing away before being honored. The NRLL has held a skills competition on Memorial Day weekend for numerous years, but last year Dzikas thought it would be perfect to add the ceremony for the veterans.

He spread the word to his fellow peers in the American Legion, as well as by word of mouth. And on Saturday, 14 veterans were there, representing not only themselves, but more than a dozen fellow soldiers who passed away since their service. The veterans’ names were called out one by one, a wreath was laid in center field, and two veterans threw out a ceremonial first pitch as part of the festivities.

Among the attendees were veterans of World War II, Vietnam, Korean and Iraq wars. Ken Moriarty, a member of the 11th Airborne and 82nd Airborne in the Korean War, was thrilled with the ceremony.

“Anytime you’re honored as a veteran, it has some meaning,” Moriarty said. “At one time people didn’t acknowledge veterans.”

Vietnam War veterans, in particular, found it hard to be acknowledged. There was much resentment toward these veterans as that conflict was a controversial one. Isaac Cortes, who served in the Gulf War, came out to his first memorial service ever on Saturday to support the Vietnam veterans who he believes have been overlooked.

“Memorial Day is very special because I had members who were stationed with me and they were killed in action,” Cortes said. “It’s just to commemorate them. I don’t consider myself the hero, I consider them the heroes because they put their lives in harm’s way.”

Cortes has battled with post traumatic stress disorder since returning from duty, and has sought the help of programs like the Wounded Warriors and the American Legion to assist him as he transitions into a new phase of his life.

“Members that can understand what I went through, it’s easy to deal with people that have been through what you’ve been through as opposed to people who never been through it and understand it,” Cortes said.

He found the task to adapt to the regular world a difficult one.

“It takes time to transition from the military to the civilian world, so I was like caught in the middle,” Cortes said. “There are days that I still have my issues, but one thing I learned about life is that you got to keep fighting. You got to keep striving forward no matter what, no matter what the obstacles are.”

To help him transition, Cortes has not only taken solace in his peers, but has also taken up writing as a hobby. He wrote two fictional short stories, “Guilt” and “Betrayal,” about the life of a soldier in combat.

Although Cortes has not fully adapted to his new life, days like Saturday are a step in the right direction for him.

“There are days that I feel good, there are days that I’m not,” Cortes said. “But coming out to these events and seeing support, it eases up the tension.”

For Walter Gallagher, a veteran of World War II, Saturday’s service reminded him of the friends he had to say goodbye to after leaving the war.

“I miss the people that I was in the service with,” Gallagher said. “They’re scattered throughout the nation, and they’re gradually deteriorating. But it’s nice to be remembered, and people are so nice to us.”

For Dzikas and the NRLL, the kindness the people have shown the veterans at the past two services hopefully will allow them to build on the success of the service.

“We want to expand it every year, come up with something different every year,” Dzikas said. We want to “get more and more people involved because it’s a great day.”