Larry Neumann

Larry Neumann comes from a long heritage of servicemembers that can be
traced back to the Civil War. During WWII, his father and five uncles all served
in the armed forces, including one in the 82nd Airborne who jumped behind
enemy lines at Normandy on D-Day. Mr. Neumann’s own father enlisted at the
age of 17 following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, serving in the United States
Navy aboard the USS South Dakota (BB-57), known as Battleship “X” for its
stealthy missions.

The stories of his family’s heroism and service intrigued Mr. Neumann and he
joined the United States Navy as a Machinist Mate following High School in 1980.
He served for six years and obtained the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class, serving
four years aboard the USS Hepburn, FF-1055, a Knox Class Frigate based in San
Diego, California.

While aboard the Hepburn (1982-‘86), he participated in two WestPac cruises,
performing in exercises with the Western Pacific Fleet. His many ports of call
included Hawaii, Singapore, The Philippines, Japan and Hong Kong. He earned his
Shellback designation on his first WestPac upon crossing the equator on the way
to Perth, Australia.

Mr. Neumann earned his Humanitarian Service Award while on maneuvers in
the Indian Ocean. The USS Hepburn came across a tiny boat containing nearly
a hundred Vietnamese refugees. Without water, food or fuel, their voyage was
doomed. Their boat soon began to take on water and sunk very quickly. The
crew of the Hepburn dove into the ocean to perform an emergency rescue. No
lives were lost, and the refugees were taken to Australia.

Forever proud of the crew he served with, Mr. Neumann now serves his fellow
veterans as the Program Supervisor of the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Mentoring
and Support Program, commonly known as Vet2Vet of Orange County, New
York.

Recognizing the need to bring together veteran service providers from several
disciplines, he expanded the Hudson Valley Veteran Task Force to include over
360 members who represent over 100 veteran service providers across seven
counties. This team meets monthly to address the needs of those who have
served and to bring about an end to veteran homelessness and suicide.