Senator James Skoufis and Assemblyman Brian Maher held a special ceremony in Maybrook’s Veterans Memorial Park on November 19: a highway dedication to the late Jack Barletta, a Maybrook resident and World War II veteran. Drivers passing through Route 208 that day likely saw the new signs established along the road, a proud reminder of Barletta’s military service and local contributions.

Barletta was born on August 9, 1922 in Bari, Italy; he was the son of the late Francisco and Celestina Vacco Barletta. He joined the US at 19 years old in 1942, serving in Italy and France during World War II and retiring as a staff sergeant in 1945. For his heroism, he received two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and several other awards. In his community, Barletta served the Maybrook Engine Co. #1 Fire Police for 25 years, the Maybrook Police Department as a part-time officer, and the Montgomery Police Department as a part-time officer. He was also the commander of the Maybrook VFW Post 2064 and a lifelong member of the DAV Chapter 144. Barletta passed away on October 29, 2014 at 92 years old.

Bill Giannico, a Maybrook trustee and Scoutmaster of Maybrook Troop 236, opened the dedication with a performance of “The Army Goes Rolling Along.” Following Giannico, several officials described the life and times of Barletta, commending his service to both his country and home in Maybrook.

“Around this time of year, just before Thanksgiving, Jack Barletta left home to join the military. It was 1942 and he was 19 years old. Here we are all these years later, and I think about this young man setting out at 19, facing a future he couldn’t have begun to fathom, driven by his sense of purpose of duty. That drive stayed with him,” Skoufis said. “Jack Barletta served honorably in the United States Army, including in Italy, then France where he was badly wounded. The Hudson Valley has the distinction of being the birthplace of the Purple Heart, and Mr. Barletta was the recipient of two of these esteemed awards. He retired in 1945 as a staff sergeant.”

Donna Barletta, Jack’s daughter, stated that her father was very reserved when sharing his experiences in the military. He did, however, enjoy sharing a particular story involving his platoon and a rejected dinner idea.

“He did have one story he loved to share about his platoon: one evening, they were sitting around a campfire. They hadn’t had a good, hot, fresh meal in a while, and he noticed that there were a lot of rabbits running around. So he asked his men ‘Well, why don’t guys go shoot a couple of rabbits? We’ll cook them and have a nice, hot meal,’” Donna said. “They all looked at each other, and nobody would get up. So he goes ‘What’s the matter?’ And they respond ‘We can’t shoot the little rabbits.’ And he goes ‘But you’re shooting the enemy!’ And they go ‘No, that’s a different thing, we can’t do it.’”