Monthly Archives: October 2015

Matt Franjola was my best buddy in the press corps in 1972 when I worked for Stars and Stripes. He was tall and thin, athletic and handsome in his shades, handlebar mustache and boonie hat. We traveled everywhere together. He was a UPI stringer and photographer, but I always thought he was a spook working for U.S. intelligence because he didn’t file a hell of a lot of stories but always seemed to be where the action was. He spoke…..

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I had another great experience Saturday Oct. 24, when I spoke at a semiannual meeting of the First Cavalry Division Association’s New York-New Jersey chapter at the Elks Club in Ridgefield Park, N.J. There were 38 attendees and they bought 15 books. I felt relaxed and among brothers as I told them that I mention 20 Cav. units in the book. There were about 10 Cav. hats in the crowd. I mentioned that two helicopter pilots who I interviewed had…..

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Sat. Oct. 24 11 a.m. New York-New Jersey chapter, First Cavalry Division Assn., Ridgefield Park Elks, 19 Cedar St., Ridgefield Park, NJ Fri., Oct. 30 5 p.m. Off the Beaten Path book store, 68 9th St., Steamboat Springs, Colo. Mon. Nov. 16 1230 p.m. East Meadow Library, 1886 Front St., East Meadow, NY Mon. Nov. 16 7 p.m. South Huntington Library, 145 Pidgeon Hill Rd., Huntington Station, NY Tues. Nov. 17 1 p.m. Floral Park Library, 17 Caroline Pl., Floral…..

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What a thrill it was to speak on Oct. 22 at my alma mater, Chaminade High School in Mineola, to 252 students, including members of the Social Studies Club. In the audience also were a few dozen eighth-graders from St. Martin of Tours School in Uniondale. I mentioned the fact that I learned about integrity and following through at Chaminade, graduating in 1966. Those qualities helped me fulfill a pledge to myself and publish “Heroes to the End,” although it…..

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On Saturday, Oct. 24, I’ll be speaking at 11 a.m. at the Ridgefield Park, N.J. Elks Club at 19 Cedar St. to the semiannual meeting of the New York-New Jersey chapter of the 1st Cavalry Division Assn.

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Writing this book has been a labor of love and the fulfillment of a dream. I’m not making a dime out of the project, and so far have laid out about $11,000 to make it happen. All proceeds from book sales and speaking fees are going to United Veterans Beacon House, a Bay Shore, L.I. nonprofit that runs 32 homeless shelters. I am its Board chair. As of Oct. 19, I have booked 19 speaking engagements at libraries with $3,275…..

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