Vietnam voices: Larry Marino

Larry Marino 53, Massapequa, retired groundskeeper for the Town of Oyster Bay

As someone with two older brothers in the Army and friends who opposed the war, I had to deal with the confusion: Should I stand with my friends or with family? Of course, I am an Italian, so it was a no-brainer: Family won. Let me tell you, I got into some fights, and I was only 13.

My brother Joe was in Vietnam as an MP, and my brother Frank was stationed in Fort Benning, training paratroopers who were getting ready to deploy. At that time, only one family member was allowed to be in Vietnam during the war. My mom put stars in the window to show she had children serving in the armed forces.

My dad was a welder at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, working on many of the ships that served our country.

We ate dinner together every night. My mom and dad were glued to the TV, watching the news, worrying that their son was going to be the next casualty.

I'll never forget the day Joe wrote home to tell my mom and dad he was awarded the Bronze Star for valor. My dad never looked so proud. By the way, Joe came home and has served Nassau for over 30 years as a police officer and now detective.