2026 AWARDS NOMINEES
Each year these awards are presented to deserving recipients who go above and beyond to help our heroes who have sacrificed so much for us to continue to enjoy our rights and freedoms.
Canine Companions presents:
The Colonel E. David Woycik, Jr., Esq., USA (Ret.), 2026 Outstanding Service Award to:
Sgt. Ronald “Ron” Shindel – Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for New York
Ronald “Ron” Shindel, from Merrick, New York, is a retired New York police officer who served as commanding officer of Operation Ground Zero after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. He is currently a police chief with the Port Authority of New York and the New Jersey Police Department, and is the executive officer for all New York area airports and seaports. Shindel was a senior vice president at the American Stock Exchange and a managing director or chief security officer at two large real estate firms. Shindel currently serves as the chairman of military affairs at the Union League Club, as a member of the advisory board of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at his alma mater, Hofstra University, and as a board director at the Catholic Health System of Long Island. During his two years with the PAPD, he developed the George Washington Bridge's suicide intervention protocol, which has more than doubled the annual lives saved, and also led initiatives that resulted in increases in traffic and DWI arrests at the bridge.
“There is no greater honor than to be chosen to serve this nation, its Soldiers and their military families. My connection to the military started at birth—my dad was a Marine and I was born at a Navy hospital. When it came my turn to serve, I enlisted in the Air National Guard and I served in a full-time position in uniform. For the past six years, I’ve been an honorary member of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and it has been a special honor to be adopted by that elite unit.”
Shindel earned a BA at Hofstra University, attended the U.S. Army War College National Security Seminar, and holds executive leadership certificates from Texas A&M, Georgetown University and the Wharton School - Aresty Institute for Executive Education at University of Pennsylvania.
World War II - The Private First Class Jay Somers, USAAF (Ret.) Service Award to:
Cpl. Bert Jablon (USAAF Ret.)
99-year-old World War II veteran Beltram Jablon from Syosset Long Island was born in 1927. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II while still under 18, requiring his parent's signature to join. Inspired by an uncle he called his "hero," he served honorably, attaining the rank of Corporal. His military honors include the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal.
On May 2, 2026, at 99 years old, Jablon participated in the Honor Flight Long Island mission to Washington, D.C., where he was the oldest veteran and the only World War II veteran from Long Island on the trip. He visited the nation's war memorials and paid tribute at Arlington National Cemetery, where one of his uncles who served in World War II is buried.
Reflecting on his service, Beltram said, "When you're called upon your country to serve, you do it with honor. And you do it with dignity." He also reflected on World War II, saying, "It was a terrible piece of our history, but we managed to survive, and we did a good job winning that war."
Beltram is also a lifelong fitness enthusiast. Although he didn't begin running until age 50, he has completed countless 5Ks and half marathons. At 98, he was still exercising seven days a week, competing in local charity races, and serving for decades on the Executive Board of the Greater Long Island Running Club. He credits his longevity to staying active, exercising daily, and eating intelligently.
The Korean War- The Salute Independence Service Award to:
Seaman E-3 Ben Galan, USN/USCGR (Ret.)
Ben Galan was drafted in 1955 and served our country for two years. He was assigned to the USS Coral Sea which was a Midway class aircraft of the Unites States Navy.
It was affectionately nicknamed the “Ageless Warrior” and served from 1947-1990
Ben left the service as an E-1 and went on to serve in the Coast Guard Auxiliary for over 50, years promoting recreational boating service, conducting vessel safety checks and assisting with search and rescue efforts.
Ben also volunteered with the American Red Cross, providing emergency disaster relief and supplying military families humanitarian aid. Ben is also a member of the Brumidi Lodge 2211of Deer Park which is a NY Chapter of the Order of the Sons of Italy. Ben spent his post-military career in the AC and Heating industry.
He received the Korean War Defense Service Ribbon and the Korean Service Medal.
The Vietnam War- The Corporal Matthew H. Raible, USMC (Ret.) Service Award to:
Keith Youse, USA (Sgt. E5) and Canine Companions Service Dog Lila III
When Keith Youse left for Army basic training in 1967, he was barely more than a kid. He excelled quickly, joining the legendary 101st Airborne Division. After just a year, he was chosen for an advanced party. Within 36 hours, he found himself in the sweltering 98-degree heat of Vietnam.
He remembers feeling unprepared for the environment, the groups of children running toward him, asking for anything they could spare. Keith led gun jeeps to protect medics providing care to soldiers. He was transferred to a recon unit and right into the Tet Offensive. He still remembers the roar of the flyers providing air support, the desperate attempts to protect overrun camps, and the moments that stayed with him for 60 years.
“We saw a lot of damage, went through a lot,” Keith says. “Back then, there wasn’t much time to process anything. It was ‘complete the mission and move on.’”
Improvised explosive devices blew out his eardrums and threw his Jeep, injuring his spine. Keith remembers the smell of the Agent Orange covering his camp, unaware that it would wreak havoc on his body for the rest of his life.
Keith returned to civilian life as a highly decorated soldier with two Bronze Stars and two Army Commendation Medals. But Vietnam followed him home, too.
“I was belligerent, angry and depressed. The world was a different place after the war,” he recalls. “I never heard the term ‘PTSD’ until the 1980s.”
Finally, Service Dog Lila entered Keith’s life — a better treatment than anything doctors could give him.
Keith learned that the bond between a service dog and its handler was unparalleled. It was the way Lila watched him. How she seemed to understand what he needed before he even said a word.
Crowds used to terrify Keith, and being in a line made his skin crawl. He felt exposed, unable to shake the sensation of someone breathing down his neck. But with Lila, he can navigate the world again. Lila creates space to give Keith a buffer from the people around him. She presses into his legs before his anxiety spirals. Lila retrieves items he can no longer reach, makes him laugh and takes care of him.
“The bond I have with Lila is unlike anything I’ve ever known,” he says. “It’s a life-changing experience. We’re a team, and Canine Companions made that possible.”
The Vietnam War- The Corporal Matthew H. Raible, USMC (Ret.) Service Award to:
Staff Sgt. Arturo Edwards (USA Ret.)
80-year-old Arturo Edwards of Farmingdale is a Vietnam veteran recognized by the community for his years of service and dedication to aiding homeless veteran organizations.
Arturo grew up in Panama and immigrated to the United States in 1964. Upon arriving in the United States, Arturo became eligible for the draft as was selected for service within a year. Arturo served with the 199 Light Infantry Brigade in Bien Hoa, Vietnam. Arturo was part of the artillery group working along the Mekong Delta as well as working with the Military Police at the Bien Hoa prison. When his tour in Vietnam ended Arturo joined the Army Reserves and served with the 340th Military Police until 1996.
Arturo worked in the Brownsville, NY Police in public affairs for many years and like many Vietnam Veterans did not speak of his time in Vietnam for many years.
Today Arturo embraces being a Vietnam Veteran and works with many Veteran organizations including Vietnam Veterans of America, American Veterans (AMVETS), VFW and the American Legion.
“I talk a lot about my service in Vietnam — how difficult it was. I spent most of my time in heavy artillery in the combat zone. I was very young. I thank the Lord that I never got hurt. I was so fortunate.”
Arturo said some of the friends he made in the Army were not as fortunate as he was, to return home: “Many never made it back.”
In 2023 Arturo was honored with the Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award by the Town of Oyster Bay, NY and in 2024.
Operation Enduring Freedom- The Staff Sergeant Sam Cila, USA (Ret.) Service Award to:
Captain Jay Caputo (USN/USNAFR Ret.)
Captain Jay Caputo, a Brooklyn native and Nassau County Police Chief of Detectives, completed a distinguished 39-year career in the U.S. Navy and Naval Air Reserve spanning from June 1970 to November 2009. He initially enlisted as an Airman recruit and excelled as an Air Traffic Controller at NAS New York. After graduating from Adelphi University, he earned a commission in the reserve intelligence field as a Lieutenant (junior grade) in September 1981.
Captain Caputo spent the majority of his commissioned career leveraging his civilian law enforcement expertise within naval intelligence and investigative units. His early officer assignments included imagery interpretation with FIRSTEURLANT and service with the Naval Investigative Service in New York City. He later helped establish a joint Navy-Coast Guard unit (MARDEZLANT) on Governor’s Island and stepped up as Executive Officer of a human-intelligence command (DEFOPS) at Fort Totten during Operation Desert Storm.
Following the events of September 11, 2001, Captain Caputo mobilized with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). He deployed overseas to the NCIS Resident Agency in London, executing vital counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism missions across various ports in Europe and the Middle East. He concluded his nearly four-decade military career at NCIS Newport, retiring in November 2009.
For his exemplary service, Captain Caputo received numerous decorations, including the Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.