History

Private John Michael Marino, son of James and Stella, lived in the big stone house on Port Blvd. between Marino Ave. and Neulist Ave. Pvt. Marino served in Company C, 112th Field Signal Battalion, 37th Infantry Division. Arriving in France in June 1918, Pvt. Marino endured 150 days of intense combat which included assaults, gas attacks, artillery, machine gun and small arms fire. All the while Pvt. Marino showed heroism and gallantry as he fought the enemy and constructed lines of communication for attacking American forces. His combat ended November 4, 1918; when his unit was relieved near the Lys and Escaut Rivers and he marched back to Thielt Belgium. He was suffering pneumonia and was placed in Evacuation Hospital #5 and died November 9, 1918 just 2 days before the Armistice was signed. Pvt. Marino was the first Italian-American from Port Washington to die in WWI. The local Sons of Italy Lodge #1389 is named in his honor.

Private William E. Henderson, son of Mr. & Mrs. William Henderson lived at 26 Avenue B, in the Terrace section. It is said William took care of horses for August Belmont where the Methodist Church now stands on Middle Neck Rd. Pvt. Henderson served in Company L, 2nd Battalion, 307th Infantry Regiment. He was an Orderly for a certain Lieutenant Earl Felter, who was a summer resident of Port Washington. Pvt. Henderson also survived about 150 days of combat from April 1918 until September 1918. No small feat for a private in a rifle company in 1918! While the record of Pvt. Henderson’s service isn’t as complete as Pvt. Marino’s we must assume he showed the same courage and gallantry in combat. He was last heard from September 2, 1918 and by November was carried as M.I.A. (Missing-in-action). Finally, in May 1919, Mr. & Mrs. Henderson learned their son, Pvt. Henderson, and his leader, Lt. Felter, were killed-in-action along the Vesle River, France on September 14, 1918.