Salute to Smithtown Veterans exhibit is launched

It's been more than seven decades since World War II veteran Domenick Ercolano enlisted in the Army, but on Sunday he spoke of his service vividly.

The 90-year-old addressed a rapt audience of fellow veterans and residents at the launch of Salute to Smithtown Veterans, an exhibit dedicated to Smithtown soldiers.

"We should, if necessary, fight and die for this country," said Ercolano, of Nesconset. "I was one of the lucky ones."

Ercolano served in the Army Air Corps from 1944 to 1945, where he was a B-29 gunner in the Pacific theater. He enlisted in 1943 straight out of high school, at 18. The exhibit includes photos of him as a carefree youngster, dressed in a baseball uniform, not long before he enlisted.

Ercolano is one of dozens of Smithtown residents, past and present, who contributed to the exhibit. The items include a variety of war memorabilia and personal items: photo albums, combat history records, letters, uniforms, helmets and more.

"It's really a Smithtown-at-war exhibit," said town historian and Vietnam veteran Bradley Harris, 73. The exhibit begins with the Revolutionary War, and also includes World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, the War in Afghanistan, and today's continuing efforts against terrorism.

The exhibit said about 600 Smithtown residents served in the armed forces during World War II.

"We have been here a while and we have served this country very, very well," said Noel Gish, Riverhead resident and author of a Smithtown history book. "Freedom is not free. We are constantly re-evaluating that."

The exhibit was organized by the Smithtown 350 Foundation, a group that plans celebratory events for the town's 350th anniversary. "It is so important that people recognize the contributions of our military," former town Councilwoman Pat Biancaniello said. "For them [youth] to know the sacrifices that men and women who go into the military and their families make on behalf of the country."

Generations of veterans attended the event, including Staff Sgt. Mervin Leonor, of Port Jefferson, who has served two deployments in Iraq. He thanked fellow veterans for their contributions, saying: "You have paved the way for others like myself who want to serve the country one day."

The exhibit, at 77 W. Main St., Smithtown, is open from 3 to 6 p.m. through Friday. Hours are extended on Veterans Day, Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.