November 6, 2024

6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Captain Bill's Restaurant & Catering

Tickets and Sponsorships

Please join Canine Companions for the annual Salute Independence Veteran's Day awards ceremony presenting The Colonel E. David Woycik Jr., Esq., USA (Ret.) and Lance Corporal Matias Ferreira, USMC (Ret.) Outstanding Service Award to a deserving volunteer who continues to serve their local veteran community. You can learn more about these two inspiring veterans and all our 2024 Award Recipients below!

This event will include a sit-down dinner, presentation of colors, Canine Companions service dog demonstration, and awards presentation to celebrate our veterans.

 Colonel E. David Woycik, Jr. Esq., USA (Ret.) is a partner of the law firm of Sanders, Sanders, Block, Woycik, Viener & Grossman, P.C. in Mineola, New York. As a colonel in the United States Army Reserves, and Judge Advocate General Corps, Col. Woycik has received numerous awards and ribbons for his service. He has served overseas in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom in the War Against Terrorism. Some of his awards include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, and Kuwait, Global War on Terrorism Medal.

 Lance Corporal Matias Ferreira, USMC (Ret.) served in the United States Marine Corps as a machine gunner with 1st Battalion 8th Marines 2nd Marine Division, stationed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. During a combat tour to Helmand Province, Afghanistan in 2010, Matias stepped on an improvised explosive device causing him to lose both legs below the knees, amongst other injuries. Matias was awarded the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon and Navy Unit Citation amongst other military awards. Officer Ferreira is currently an active police officer with the Suffolk County Police Department in New York; making him the first double amputee patrolman in the country.

Captain John C. Cochrane, Jr. (USN Ret.)

Town of Islip Councilman John C. Cochrane, Jr.is a retired US Navy Captain and Chairman of Islip Town Veterans’ Advisory Board. He attended Jacksonville University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business.  Cochrane’s military service began when he was commissioned through Naval Reserve Officer Training (NROTC) in April 1982. His first sea duty assignment was onboard the USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62), where he served as Fourth Division Officer, First Division Officer and Fire Control Main Battery Officer.  In 1992, Cochrane was selected as REDCOM TWO Reserve Officer Association (ROA) Junior Officer of the year. He was selected as REDCOM FOUR Naval Reserve Association (NRA) Junior Officer of the Year, in 1994. Cochrane’s decorations include: Legion of Merit (Gold Star), Meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star), Navy Commendation Medal Fourth Award, Army Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (Gold Star), Two Navy Unit Commendations and Navy Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.  In 2011, Cochrane was elected to a four-year term as Councilman of the Township of Islip, NY. His duties include being a liaison for the Community Development Agency, the Foreign Trade Zone, the Industrial Development Agency and in maintaining a Veterans’ office within his Councilman’s office, the Township of Islip Veterans. Today, Cochrane is Chairman of Islip Town Veterans’ Advisory Board, and is continuing his mission to commemorate Islip Veterans as part of his ongoing efforts maintaining the Town’s Veterans Office. The Councilman is collecting the names and biographical information of hometown heroes who served in the US Military between the periods of the first Gulf War, through to the present War on Terror, to be included in the 2022 edition of the Islip Journal of War Veterans. This latest volume of the journal will join past editions that previously featured Veterans who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and other modern conflicts.  Cochrane resides in Brightwaters, NY with his wife, Kathryn Ann (O’Connor). They have two sons, John Campbell and Connor James.

Corporal Eugene Zanger (USA Ret.)

Dr. Eugene Zanger was born March 9, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York. He enlisted in the U. S. Army at the end of World War II, and was stationed in Korea. He was a corporal and company clerk for the road building 42nd Engineers Construction Battalion. After he was honorably discharged from the Army, he received his undergraduate degree from City College and his PhD in psychology from the University of Denver. He had been a school psychologist for many years in the West Islip school district. In addition, he always maintained a private practice out of his home, serving many local veterans. He was active in the Nassau County Psychology Association, serving as its president. He did not fully retire until age 95.

Quartermaster 2^nd Warren James (USCG Ret.)

Born in 1923, Warren James enlisted to serve in the United States Coast Guard in December of 1941, and would enter the Pacific Theater after receiving transfer to the USS Eugene (PF-40) Tacoma class frigate, a ship that would earn two World War II battle stars. While transporting wounded from the battle of the Philippines, the USS Eugene caught fire, but was saved along with its occupants by the dedicated efforts of the crew in which Warren served. Transferred once more to the USS Lansing (DE-388), he would continue to serve with dedication through the remainder of World War II. After the war, Mr. James returned to Long Island and worked for the Fair Harbor Ferry Company, serving as a dock hand and captain. His love for the ocean led him to move to Lonelyville on Fire Island, where he would further serve his community as both Water Commissioner and Fire Commissioner.

Specialist E4 John “Jack” Baker (USA Ret.)

John “Jack” Baker was born in Bay Shore in December 1946, the middle of 5 children. Jack attended St. Patrick’s School and graduated from Bay Shore High School. Growing up Jack worked to help at home due to the death of his dad. After High School Jack was drafted into the U.S. Army. In May, 1967 he was transferred to Vietnam and was stationed at Cam Rahn Bay with an MP Platoon at the Air Service Missile Base. In May 1968, Jack returned to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey to work security at the Stockade. After his honorable discharge from the Army, Jack became a builder and completed numerous houses on Fire Island before going to work as a Driver Salesman and retiring from Entenmann’s Bakery. He married his wife Barbara in March 1971.  Some of Jack’s accomplishments include President of the Bay Shore Police Athletic League, Officer of the Pennatquit Social and Athletic Club. He was President of Kismet Community Association, to this day, Jack still contributes by assisting in the Community Cart program by transporting elderly and anyone needing assistance to go from the ferry to their homes. In 2000, Jack started the Bay Shore Brightwater’s St Patrick’s Parade, which became one of the largest and most attended on Long Island.  He’s a member of the Brentwood American Legion Post 1006. Now retired, Jack splits his time between Bay Shore and Singer Island, Florida.

Canine Companions Graduate Corporal David Medina (USA Ret.)

U.S. Army Corporal David Medina is a Canine Companions successor graduate, matched with his first service dog Lombard in 2014, and with his second service dog Kellen in 2023. David was wounded in combat in Iraq in 2010 on a mission behind enemy lines. “I was a Forward Observer Fire Support Specialist (13 Fox), and penetrated as much as 2 miles deep into enemy lines to observe movement, and direct fire using mortar, artillery, aircraft and gunships.  At the time my injuries seemed minor, so I completed the mission and returned home. Then in May of 2013, I started having strokes”. One stroke was massive. While he was recovering, David says he couldn’t help but feel defeated. “Watching my wife do so much for me, seeing the concern in my daughters’ eyes, and losing my independence… it was more than I could bear.”  In August of 2014, David was invited to Canine Companions Team Training and was matched with much loved service dog Lombard. After a lifetime of service, Lombard passed in 2022, and months later David was matched his second service dog Kellen. Kellen is triple-cross trained to help David with physical disabilities from his traumatic brain injuries, with his hearing loss, and with Post Traumatic Stress. David is proud to say that having two Canine Companions service dogs are by far the best experiences his family has ever had. David and his wife Lymarie are proud parents of 3 daughters.