TN Veterans Day
Parade to honor
dedication, service
Grand Marshal Joseph Goonan at the American Legion’s national convention in Phoenix, Arizona, in late August. Photo courtesy Joseph Goonan
BY ALIYA SCHNEIDER
Veterans of all eras will be
honored at the 37th Throggs
Neck Veterans Day Parade on
Nov. 14.
The event will kick off at
12 p.m. from Lafayette and
Tremont avenues, turn left
onto Randall Avenue, then
stop at the Bicentennial Veterans
Memorial Park, for a
ceremony.
Joseph Goonan, a 77-yearold
Bronxite, was chosen to
be the grand marshal this
year. He was born and raised
in Parkchester, going through
the St. Helena school system
before ending up in City Island,
where he has lived for
the past 56 years.
“I’m a product of the
Bronx,” he said.
Across 34 years, Goonan
served in both the U.S. Navy
from 1961-1865 and Army Reserve
from 1976-2005, retiring
as a chief warrant offi cer 4.
Goonan, a retired awardwinning
NYPD detective, is
an active member of the Leonard
H. Hawkins American Legion
Post 156, where he has
held various leadership positions.
He is also involved
with the organization on the
state and federal levels. The
veteran has made himself a
familiar face on City Island,
working with Boy Scouts, Little
League and the Council
of Leaders of Neighborhood
Youth, a volunteer group that
applied for funding to distribute
to local youth organizations.
“From the committee perspective,
we were very impressed
with his qualifi cations,”
said parade co-chair
Ron Watson, a retired lieutenant
colonel of the U.S. Marine
Corps who served 22 years on
active duty.
Goonan, who hopes for
great weather on Nov. 14 to
attract a big turnout, wishes
more people had a connection
to the military. “We all write a
blank check for that service,”
he said. “Up to and including
our lives.”
BRONX TIMES R 44 EPORTER, NOV. 5-11, 2021 BTR
That being said, Goonan is
looking forward to marching
with fellow veterans, and for
them to be recognized by the
Bronx community, regardless
of how much time they served.
“A veteran should be recognized
for their service, and
not necessarily just on Veterans
Day,” he said.
“Serving in the military
is an honorable profession,”
Watson said. “And as such,
the American citizen is honorbound
to recognize those veterans
that raise their right
hand to serve in the U.S. military
for a noble cause. And
sometimes that cause is unpopular,
but veterans, they
salute sharply. And they conduct
their mission, and that’s
what we recognize on Veterans
Day.”
Watson said politicians
tend to emphasize the impacts
of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
when talking about veterans,
and wishes there was
more discussion around the
skillsets veterans bring to the
civilian workforce.
“Military veterans, regardless
of rank, offer tremendous
value to the workforce,”
he said. ” … If you’re hiring
a vet you’re hiring a great
American, someone that’s
smart, that’s enthused, that
will work hard, that will have
a sense of urgency to accomplish
the mission.”
Goonan agreed, and also
pointed to healthcare for aging
veterans, like those who
served in World War II and the
Korean War, and high rates of
suicide, as key issues for veterans.
He believes there both
needs to be more resources for
veterans at risk of committing
suicide, and a better understanding
of existing resources
and warning signs. He pointed
to the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA), American Legion
and suicide prevention
hotlines as sources of support.
“Too often, we think of being
able to control our emotions
and handle heartache as
a badge of courage,” Watson
added, saying it’s important to
remove stigmas surrounding
getting help.
He emphasized that there
is work being done to help
solve the crisis among veterans,
like counseling, removal
of guns, education and early
intervention.
At the ceremony, 10 honorary
marshals will be commemorated,
and two living
World War II veterans, Pvt.
Anthony DiBartolo and Pvt.
1st Class Michael Morgan,
will be honored.