Love Story: The Army couldn't keep them from falling for each other

Artie Spina of Bohemia talks about falling in love while serving in the Army.

It was just after Labor Day 1966, and I was working at Electrospace Corp., a defense contractor in Glen Cove. I was 20 and would be leaving Bellerose, Queens, for the Army in a few weeks. While at my desk near the personnel office, I saw a beautiful young lady interviewing for a job. Afterward, I asked the personnel manager about her. Her name was June Fernando, and she had gotten the job. I was thrilled. 

As secretary to the comptroller, June, who was 18, handled petty cash. I took every opportunity to hand in petty-cash vouchers, no matter how small. On my last day at Electrospace, I made the rounds to say goodbye. I remember hugging women in the office and shaking June’s hand wishing her luck with the new job. The office manager told me I should attend the company Christmas party if I got back to Bellerose, Queens, from basic training in time — and I did.

At the party, June and I talked and danced. Afterward I offered her a ride home to Glen Cove. She accepted nervously, knowing her strict father, a World War II vet, would be home. She wanted me to drop her at the corner so she could walk home. What kind of gentleman would do that?

I drove to the house and met her father, who was working on a car. He seemed congenial but cautious. I helped June with her belongings and was on my way — after arranging to meet her and some friends in Glen Cove for music and drinks the next evening. We had a nice time, so I invited her to a New Year’s Eve house party. She accepted. We had a nice time and kissed at midnight. 

After that, we saw each other and spoke by phone before I reported for training in Fort Knox, Kentucky, then Officer Candidate School in Fort Eustis, Virginia. I was gone eight months, so we wrote often and talked when we could. She made it easy to fall in love.

Then I was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, and drove home most weekends to see June. On a weekend home 18 months later, we drove to Electrospace, where I asked her to marry me. She happily said yes. We were married May 25, 1969, at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Glen Cove. Our reception was at the Regency House in Jamaica, Queens.

June and I lived in housing at Fort Dix, where she enjoyed being an Army wife, until I was sent to Vietnam in January 1970. It was a long year, but frequent letters and cassette recordings kept us going as did a week of R&R in Hawaii.

Our first Long Island home was an apartment in Glen Cove in 1971. I went to work for the FDNY, retiring from Engine 294 in Richmond Hill, Queens, almost a year after 9/11. June worked over the years as an executive secretary and office manager, but her most important job was raising our three beautiful children and spoiling our five grandchildren, a job at which she still excels. In addition to being in the Army National Guard and Reserves, I became an accountant and did tax preparation on the side for 30 years; June was my office manager. We always were a great team! 

We celebrated our 50th anniversary with a fabulous cruise to Bermuda, where we had honeymooned. After our cruise, we enjoyed a beautiful family celebration at Oheka Castle in Huntington arranged by our children. It just keeps getting better!

— With Ann Donahue-Smukler