WWII vet Jack Vanasco, 95, honored at Brooklyn Veterans Day ceremony
Worked for decades to reopen the Brooklyn War Memorial
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Jack Vanasco, a World War II Army veteran who served under General McArthur, was honored on Sunday at a ceremony in Downtown Brooklyn hosted by the Cadman Park Conservancy and sponsored by Veterans for Political Innovation (VPI).
The ceremony also honored veterans who have served in conflicts ranging from Iraq to Afghanistan.
Vanasco, 95, and his brothers Terry, Roy and Joe all served during the war from 1939-47 and, beating the odds, all made it home afterward. Jack and his older brother Roy have been working for decades to reopen the shuttered Brooklyn War Memorial. An ADA-accessible ramp and elevator have been installed but more repairs are underway, including reconstructing the restrooms.
Vanasco showed the Brooklyn Eagle a photo of an interior wall inscribed with the names of more than 11,000 Brooklyn soldiers who lost their lives in World War II.