96-Year-Old WW II Veteran Hattie Harris Honored in Bay Ridge

A very special Veterans Day ceremony took place on Thurs., Nov. 8 at HoM store in Bay Ridge. The event honored three distinguished men and women who served in the military, including 96-year-old World War II veteran Hattie Harris, a member of the National Association of Black Military Women.

Harris trained at Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School in Des Moines, Iowa. She eventually transferred to Holloran General Hospital, part of Willowbrook in Staten Island, where she served as an ambulance driver.

The other honored veterans were U.S. Marine Corps veteran E4 Corporal Jonathan Nunez, who served during the Iraq War, and U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran Reeves Lehmann, who served in Vietnam.

The event was arranged by celebrity chef and fashion designer Vincent Tropepe. HoM, 8810 Third Ave., offered appetizers and wines courtesy of Bee D’Vine Vineyard.

Each honoree received a proclamation and a specially designed gift by Vincent Tropepe Fashions (VTF) to thank them for their service.

Tropepe, a restaurateur, recently launched his new fashion line at Brooklyn Borough Hall. One of the items in his accessories line is a bracelet designed expressly to bring awareness and raise funds for various veterans organizations.

The bracelet, which is handmade in Italy, is crafted from World War II parachute cord material. A portion of sales of the bracelet that evening was donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. The HoM Store also donated 10 percent of sales on all items sold between 6 and 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 to the Wounded Warrior Project.

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