Carmel, N.Y. – (11/14/11) – Twenty-seven veterans throughout the Hudson Valley were honored by Senator Greg Ball (R, C – Patterson) at the Veterans’ Hall of Fame ceremony on Thursday.
The Veteran’s Hall of Fame was created by Senator Ball, and designed to honor outstanding veterans from throughout the 40th Senate District. Each veteran that was honored will be included on a traveling wall that will tour local municipalities throughout the 40th district.
Retired Ship Fitter 3rd Class Russ Harrison is the Village of Buchanan’s inductee into the Veterans’ Hall of Fame. Serving in the United States Navy during World War II and assigned to the Japanese Occupation Force, after his discharge, Ret. SF3 Harrison remained with the Navy Reserve through 1954.
A past President of the Boilermakers Local 5, Ret. SF3 Harrison was born on July 21, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Ret. SF3 Harrison volunteered and immediately went to work on the Pearl Harbor recovery, removing damaged ships from the channel.
Ret. SF3 Harrison is currently a member of the Masonic Order in Cortlandt, a member of the Buchanan Seniors and Cortlandt Seniors, a member of both the Peekskill Elks Lodge and the Brewster Elks Lodge. He volunteers as a member of the Town of Cortlandt’s Veteran’s Committee, on which he serves as co-chair, and is a former commander of the Avenel, New Jersey Post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Ret. SF3 Harrison also volunteered as a fireman in Ben Salpoint.
During his opening remarks Senator Ball said, “The veterans who are here today were nominated by their communities, hand-picked because they chose a path of courage, honor, integrity and bravery; a path that helped shape America as we know it, protecting our way of life and liberty.”
