Community Ambulance Co. in Sayville holds turkey giveaway for veterans

Kelly Langdon and Victoria Dorney are sisters and veterans of the Marine Corps who pride themselves on helping others.

On Sunday, the two were happy to get a little help themselves as they picked up a free turkey for Thanksgiving at the Community Ambulance Co. in Sayville during a giveaway event targeted for veterans.

“People are forgetting the veterans who served and made this country so great,” said Langdon, a registered nurse from Mastic who was a lance corporal in the Marines from 1979 to 1982. “I have seen veterans in poor condition due to drugs and alcohol … something like this shows that we are not forgetting.”

Dozens of cars lined up hours before the giveaway started at 10 a.m. Many of the vehicles had stickers and license plates honoring the service of veterans.

Jamie Atkinson, a board member of the ambulance company, said they had more than 250 turkeys to distribute through both corporate donations and assistance from local groups.

He said the event is a chance to show appreciation for their service but also to give veterans a chance to connect with their community.

“There are more people on the line than we have had in previous years,” he said. “They tell us stories about when they were in the military, how the world has changed and how grateful they are we are recognizing them. Some of them didn’t even get a welcome home when they came back.”

Maureen Murphy, Gold Star mother of Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient from Patchogue, was also on hand to help distribute bags of trimmings as well as turkeys.

“It’s important to recognize veterans — they have done things we will never do and have seen things we will never see,” said Murphy, whose son was killed in Afghanistan during a mission to find a Taliban-aligned terrorist leader in 2005.

“I think there’s a lot of people in need this year, the price of groceries is up,” she said. “We want to make it a little bit easier for them and to let them know how much we appreciate their service.”

A recent study by the Rand Corp. showed food-insecure veterans were less likely than nonveteran peers to be enrolled in the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

And between 2015 and 2019, 11.1% of working-age veterans between the ages of 18 and 64 lived in food-insecure households.

Richard Gudat, who served in the Navy from 1953 to 1957, arrived early to be the first on line for a turkey.

“I think this is a very nice thing for them to do,” said Gudat, 88, of Amity Harbor. “I’m going to celebrate with my family.”

Rocco Mingione, 67, of West Babylon said moments like this turkey giveaway bring out   the joy of the holiday season.

“My wife is from Mexico and she can’t believe how good the United States is to their veterans,” said Mingione, who was a jet mechanic in the Navy from 1973 to 1982. “We are going to celebrate with our friends and bring a turkey.”

On Tuesday, the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency is hosting its annual Veterans Winter Stand Down event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Freeport Armory. Veterans with identification can get clothing, toiletries and nonperishable goods, as well as have access to housing information and peer counseling.

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.