Veterans of Foreign Wars - VFW : Yonkers NY: Post 1666

09/15/2026

My fellow veterans never forget why we all were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and served multiple tours. I was downtown on 9/11 and for weeks after. Afterwards, Every day is was in Iraq the sight of those planes crashing into the twin towers, Pentagon and United 93 will forever be etched in my mind. 9/11 should serve as a reminder of why we as Americans should unite and not be divided over dumb s**t that’s going on in this country.

09/15/2026

RED is an acronym that stands for Remember Everyone Deployed. R.E.D. Friday was created to remind people of our heroes overseas and show that we are thinking of them. People across the country wear red every Friday to serve as a reminder and spread the message of how important it is that we keep our troops in our thoughts.

Remember All of Our Deployed Military Members. Put on RED on Fridays......Until They All Come Home.

09/15/2026

On this day in 1942 the former pastor of St. Mary's Church of Yonkers NY died in the service of our Great Nation.

Chaplain (First Lieutenant) Lawrence Aloysious Gough was a second-generation Irish American who grew up in the Parkchester neighborhood in the Bronx. He was the second of five children of Lawrence Aloysious (1881-1953) and Anna V. (nee Tomkins) (1887-1951). He was a 1937 graduate from the St. Joseph's Dunwoodie seminary and had been ordained by Cardinal Hayes. His first assignment was Our Lady of Victory Church in Mount Vernon and later became the assistant pastor of the Immaculate Conception (St. Mary's) in Yonkers.

Rev. Lawrence A. Gough entered the military service as a chaplain in March of 1942. He Received a commission as a chaplain in the US Army Air Corps. and was stationed at Moody Field in Nashville, Ga. He died in a military plane crash when the unstable two-engine (AT-9 "Jeep") trainer airplane was caught in a thunderstorm. Another officer in the plane, the pilot, died in the crash as well.

The Funeral Ceremony was held with full honors at St Mary's church. Beside the military honor guard, several civic and veterans' organizations also assisted. Furthermore, he received full military and religious services to an overflow crowd of dignitaries and well-wishers before interment at St. Mary's Cemetery.

Let Us Never Forget the service and sacrifice of this Catholic Priest
Let Us Never Forget Chaplain (First Lieutenant) Lawrence Aloysious Gough.

Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW- New York Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars - VFW : Yonkers NY: Post 1666

09/15/2026

Please remember that on this day in 1942 that a young man from Nepperhan Ave, Yonkers NY, died in the defense of this Great Nation.

Private Lewis F. Maurer was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Maurer of 145 Nepperhan Ave. Charles Maured was a painting contractor who had served in the army during world War 1. Lewis Maurer graduated from the High School of Commerce and worked for a year and a half in the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.). Lewis Maurer Enlisted in the United States army on August 20th, 1941. and was serving on active duty with an army medical detachment in Latin America when he died Sept. 11, 1942. no further information has been found about this young soldier. at the time of his death, Lewis did have a brother Charles Thomas serving in the US Navy.

Let us always remember this America Hero.
Let us Never Forget PFC Lewis F. Maurer.

09/15/2026

On this day in 1943 a young man from Elm Street, Yonkers New York, lost his life in the defense of freedom.

Walter Anthony Berrigan was the son of Mr. And Mrs. John Martin Berrigan Sr. He grew up at 94 Elm Street and Enlisted in the United States Navy, in July of 1942. After Training at Newport Rhode Island, Walter was assigned as a Fireman 1st Class, onboard the USS Rowan (DD-405). Walters brother Joseph F. Berrigan also joined the Navy and served in the Atlantic Fleet.

The Rowan was a Benham-class destroyer in the Atlantic Fleet when the United States entered World War II. was one of the United States Navy ships joining the British Home Fleet for the battle of convoy PQ 17. Rowan later engaged French warships in the Naval Battle of Casablanca while supporting Operation Torch. Rowan then defended convoy UGS 6 before supporting the invasion of Sicily. Rowan was sunk by E-boats off Salerno during the allied invasion of Italy.

On 10 July, the invasion of Sicily began. On the 14th Rowan arrived off the coast in the screen of a reinforcement convoy and commenced patrols off Gela. After the 20th, she shifted around to the northern shore and assumed patrol and es**rt work in the Palermo area. On the 26th she added shore bombardment, against enemy positions between Cefalù and Stefano di Camastra, and into August she supported the "leapfrog" landings along the coast. She then returned to North Africa to prepare for the landings on the Italian mainland at Salerno.

On 9 September, Rowan entered the Gulf of Salerno in the screen of the Southern Attack Force. That day and the next as the assault force and supplies were landed at Paestum, she screened the transports and freighters. Late on the night of the 10th, she headed back to Oran with the emptied ships. Shortly after midnight, German E-boats attacked. Rowan pursued and fired, then, as her quarry pulled away, ceased firing and changed course to rejoin the convoy.

Within 5 minutes a new contact was made, range less than 3,000 yards. Again, she changed course, to avoid torpedoes and bring her guns into position. As the range decreased to 2,000 yards, Rowan was hit by a torpedo by a German E-boat. She sank in less than a minute, taking 202 of her 273 officers and men with her. Those whose bodies were not recovered, were listed as ‘missing in action’ for a year and a day after the sinking. They were considered officially ‘dead’ on 12 September 1944.

Fireman 1st class Walter A. Berrigan was among the missing. His name is engraved on the Tablets of the Missing at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Lazio, Italy.

Another Son of Yonkers that left to fight for freedom and never returned home. Let Us Always remember this true American Hero. Let Us Always Remember his Service and Sacrifice. Let Us Never Forget F1 Walter Antony Berrigan.

Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW- New York Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW Veterans of Foreign Wars - VFW : Yonkers NY: Post 1666

09/15/2026

Today, we honor those we lost on 9/11 and all the first responders, including civilians, who risked their lives to help their fellow citizens. Let’s try to remember that feeling of unity in our country during these difficult times.

09/15/2026

Today marks 25 years since the day that changed America forever. We will never forget 9/11 and the lives we lost that day at the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, PA. 💔

09/14/2026

https://www.history.com/september11

See this link for a comprehensive video and article library on the events of September 11, 2001.

09/14/2026

09/14/2026

Today, as we remember those we lost, let their memories serve as a reminder of our strength and love of country.

Thank you to all our veterans and service members who have fought and still fight for our freedom.