We Thank All Who Have Served
from 1975 until 2015. He was also
the part-time Rabbi at the Jewish
Center of Bayside Hills from 1978
until 2005, at which time he was
named Rabbi Emeritus. Now fully
retired, Murray has lived at North
Shore Towers since 2011.
DAN BROAD
2D Lieutenant, US Air Force
After the bombing of Pearl
Harbor, Dan Broad wanted to enlist
in the military immediately—but he
was still in high school. He wasted
no time, though, in joining the Air
Force as soon as he graduated. A
member of the 14th Air force, aka
the Flying Tigers, Dan was sent to
China to fly B-24s in six battles.
He was discharged when the war
ended in 1945 “but they sent me
home by boat, which took 47 days!”
Dan said.
Dan was widowed in 1994 and
stayed in his Jericho home until
2002 when he packed up and made
North Shore Towers his new home.
“The Towers is a great place to live,”
Dan said. “It was a great move.”
SEYMOUR KAPLAN
Colonel, US Army
Seymour (Sy) Kaplan’s military
career goes back to 1950 when he
joined the ROTC while a student
at City College. He went on to be
stationed at the DMZ in Korea in
the 31st Infantry Regiment. Upon
retiring from active duty, Sy joined
the reserves in the 77th Infantry
Division, from which he retired
in 1985.
Sy remains passionate about the
77th, which is known for having so
many New York natives in its division;
in fact, the division holds a
memorial service each year at nearby
Ft. Totten in Bayside in honor
of these soldiers (and yes, Sy will
be attending this year).
But Sy didn’t really want to talk
about himself. As passionate as Sy
is about the 77th, he may be even
more enthusiastic about his determination
to educate young people
about WWII. He is the author of
“World War II Remembered,” a collection
of WWII ‘First Day Covers,’
which are commemorative stamps
released and canceled on the day
of issue. At 200 pages, the book is a
visually compelling and educational
walk through history.
When Sy isn’t engaging in a lively
discussion about WWII, he and
his wife Harriet are enjoying life at
North Shore Towers--along with
an occasional trip to Atlantic City.
Upon their return from a recent visit
to AC, Harriet was pleased to report
that Sy came back “with his shirt
still on.”
GERALD WILKOFF
Corporal, US Army
Jerry graduated college with an
accounting degree and promptly
landed a job. It was short-lived,
though; just a few months later, in
1954, he was drafted. His training at
Ft. Dix included becoming a clerk
typist. Shortly thereafter, Jerry was
sent off to South Korea and while
en route, a superior officer on the
ship asked for volunteers. “My buddy
told me you never volunteer in
the army,” Jerry said, “but I didn’t
listen.” It turned out to be a good
call. Jerry was assigned to be a clerk
in the officer’s club in Busan (Pusan
at that time) where he spent the
majority of his service.
After being discharged in 1956,
Jerry became an accountant,
married, and had two sons and a
daughter (and now proudly boasts
seven grandchildren!). Along the
way, Jerry switched careers to
become an insurance broker. He
recently sold his business and has
been living happily at North Shore
Towers since 2016.
GREG PORETTO
Specialist, US National Guard
Greg is not only one of the
newest shareholders at North
Shore Towers, but he may also be
the youngest military man here.
Nevertheless, he’s been involved
in the armed forces for several
years, having been in the US Naval
Reserve for three years and in the
National Guard for the past four.
He explained that his training has
included preparation for combat
deployments which, he said, have
been intensified in recent years.
“Especially post-9/11,” he said,
“you’re on call to mobilize all over
the world and are doing joint training
with other branches.
A graduate of Michigan State
University, Greg explained that he
“always wanted to serve, but I also
wanted to pursue an education.
My uncle influenced me to go this
route…I think it’s a great opportunity
for young people. I wish they
had talked about it more when I
was in high school.”
Greg is currently in the midst
of a major renovation of his new
apartment, and he’s very excited
to be moving to the Towers—and
especially to start playing golf. He
grinned, “Where else has a golf
course in their backyard?”
Gerald Wilkoff
Greg Poretto
Dan Broad
Seymour Kaplan
From “World War II
Remembered”
November 2019 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 15