How Riverdale celebrates veterans and supports their journey back to civilian life
In 1918, after the Treaty of Versailles ended World War I, the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, was designated as the end of the war to end all wars. In observation, Nov. 11 continues to be celebrated as Veterans Day.
On Nov. 3, Veterans Day was celebrated with a ceremony in Van Cortlandt Park a celebration which has come to be the largest in the borough, according to Sergio Villaverde.
Villaverde, born and raised in Riverdale, joined the Coast Guard out of a desire to serve something greater than himself and served for 32 years before returning to civilian life, where he became a police officer with the New York Police Department. He has since retired, and now spends his days working as an attorney, practicing family law and mediation.
“I wanted to do something [meaningful] and I found that the Coast Guard was the best way to do that,” Villaverde said.
He retired as a commander and helped in major crises including the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and Deepwater Horizon, an offshore drilling rig that leaked more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.
Currently, Villaverde is the chair of the Community Board 8 special committee on veterans services. In his role as chair, he wants to ensure his committee receives teh same attention as the others.
His return to civilian life was a smooth transition, but he knows the same does not exist for all veterans. In his role with the community board, Villaverde aims at keeping the community informed on the services available through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the federal agency charged with handling veterans benefit programs.
“My regular request is for people who know veterans, to reach out to them,” Villaverde said.
He said that in his role with the Coast Guard, he protected the country and the sea itself, all missions that he still believes in and supports.
“There are very few places that you get to do all of those things,” Villaverde said.
A 2023 study from the Pew Research Center assessed the challenges veterans faced the most in their transition to civilian life and reported that veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress, were more likely to report their experiences. The biggest issue amongst veterans, was the struggle to pay bills in the first few years upon return to civilian life, with six in 10 veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress.
The next greatest challenge for veterans suffering from PTSD, was trouble getting medical care for themselves or their families, with four in 10 struggling to access the required care.
According to Veterans Affairs, one of the most common challenges veterans face is reconnecting with family and joining a community.
At Manhattan University, David Bollert operates as the director of veteran services where he ensures the students of the university have all the services and community support they need.
Although not a veteran himself, Bollert began at the institution as a philosophy professor in 2005, when he encountered student veterans for the first time and was immediately drawn to their “straightforward” and “mature” outlook on life.
"I admire that type of mindset,” Bollert said, “People who are determined to make sacrifices for what they deem to be the greater good.”
Alongside the offerings the university provides to student veterans, Bollert also began hosting his own gathering several years ago called, open table, with a purpose to provide students with a place to gather and talk about what’s on their mind.
“If they need a break they want to find some fellow student veterans, to be in their presence, hang out, enjoy some friendly camaraderie. That’s where we’ll be,” Bollert said.
Every Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m., Bollert goes to An Beal Bocht, a neighborhood Irish Pub known for its performances and hangouts, and sits with whatever students show up to chat, break bread and form a community.
While Veterans were honored in Van Cortlandt Park early in the month, another memorial took place on Nov. 11 at the site of Veterans Memorial on West 239th Street and Riverdale Ave.
Danny Monge said his time in the armed services was inspired by a high school friend who joined the Army in the 101st Airborne Division, a division specializing in air assaults. He enlisted as a high school senior and served a four-year tour as a paratrooper, specially trained to parachute from airplanes and land in combat areas.
Monge said that after returning to civilian life, he strayed away from Veterans Affairs services. Instead, he works with New York Helmets to Hardhats, a nonprofit that connects veterans with training and career opportunities in the construction industry.
With his involvement in Helmets to Hardhats he started his career as a unionized construction worker with Local 638. He said he’s passionate about the work of the organization, providing veterans with a living wage, benefits, healthcare and a space for them to become reacclimated to civilian life.
Monge shared data from Veterans Affairs stating nearly 22 veterans commit suicide every day, a statistic that continues to fuel his passion for connecting with veterans and reminding them of the benefits and care available to them.
In his continued efforts to raise awareness to veterans, he helped to restore the flagpole by the monument on West 239th Street in 2021. With the help of beloved Tree Army owners, Nicholas and Joelle Lynch, the run-down patch was repaired and the flagpole restored, allowing for memorials to be held there year-round in honor of local veterans and their service.
Since his time with the Army, Monge has made sure to stay connected with the soldiers he served alongside and the veterans in his neighborhood.
“We’re older now, our hairs are gray, our bellies are bigger but when we see each other it’s like we were just with each other," Monge said. "There’s no type of camaraderie like that of veterans.”
Keywords
veterans, memorial, Veteran's Day
