Medals For Mettle

Max Weiner, a soldier in Company B 175th infantry of the 29th division during World War II, knew the toughest moment in his tour was coming. It was June 6, D-Day, and he and his company were stationed in England awaiting their orders to get on a boat and cross the English Channel to meet the enemy on the beaches of Normandy.
To pass the time before shipping out, he sat on the rocks along the English Channel and admired the beautiful day, until the sky turned black, he said, and filled with fleets of planes headed to France for a preliminary bombing. Moments later, he was on an LCT, a transport boat that carries troops to the beaches. His boat spent the night crossing the channel, with the men on board writing letters to their loved ones and quietly praying. They landed in the shallow waters of Omaha Beach on June 7 shortly before noon.
"We took a little bath before we got on the beach," the veteran wryly remarked. He was one of the soldiers who made it through the battle that turned the tide in the war. Certain memories from that fateful day still come back to him: the parachutes he saw in the trees, the German artillery fire. "Its a terrible feeling, like you are going to slaughter," reflected the soldier somberly.
Almost 60 years later, New York State honored Weiner, a Bayside resident, and 33 other veterans from Queens for their valorous service in combat, at the New York State Senate Awards hosted by Senator Serphin Maltese and Senator Malcolm Smith on July 18.
"This tribute to the veterans is well-merited and long overdue," said Maltese, himself a veteran.
During last weeks ceremony at the St. Albans Veteran Hospital, which included a special appearance by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the senators gave medals to World War II and Korean War soldiers. To be eligible for the medals, the veterans had to have received Congressional recognition for their service.
"Its very hard to really know how to say thank you to those who took time out of their lives to fight for their country," said Mayor Bloomberg, who equated the moment to his experiences comforting the grieving families of New York police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty. "This country needs to remind their children and grandchildren why people gave their lives for it and for democracy."
"We should be doing each and every day something on behalf of our veterans," said Smith, who serves on the Senates veterans affairs committee. Smith, who noted that he never had to serve in a war, said this event is the most important he goes to each year. "I cant imagine what you went through and what your wives went through," he said admiringly to the former soldiers in attendance.
"If it wasnt for people like Senators Maltese and Smith and Congressman Ackerman, I am sure there would be a lot of veterans who still dont know about these awards," said Weiner, who received the Jubilee of Liberty Commemorative Medal and the Cold War Recognition Certificate. He heard about the opportunity for the medals through his membership in the Jewish War Veterans Association.
Weiners war stories did not end in Normandy. His company moved on to St. Low, where they were battered down in hedge-bush fighting with the Germans. During the battle, a shell exploded near his fox hole, knocking him cold, until he awoke in a military hospital. Luckily, Weiner received no permanent injuries, but was later discharged.
Weiner and the other veterans in attendance said the recognition for their service was deserved, but sadly came too late for many. Statistics read at the ceremony indicated that approximately 1,000 veterans, most now septuagenarians and octogenarians, die each day. Even many of the veterans whose names were read at ceremony did not attend due to failing health.
"At one time, when veterans spoke, the politicians listened," said Weiner. "They still remember us, but we dont have the same clout."