Bancroft Commemorates Veterans Day

Veterans with brain injuries received medals in a Veterans Day observance Thursday at the Bancroft Center in Haddonfield.

The awards were presented to veterans in Bancroft’s brain-injury program, as well as to staff members who are veterans. The Camden County Freeholders provided the awards.

Six veterans with brain injuries and four staff members received the county medals honoring their service. The awards were presented by Jack Conners, director of Camden County Veterans Affairs, retired Lt. Col. Alfred Bancroft (no relation to the Bancroft organization), also of the Camden County VA., and Freeholder Jeffrey Nash.

“You made a great sacrifice,” said Conners during his remarks. “This is our way to say thank you.”

The veterans honored were:

Robert Fitzgerald of Moorestown

Thomas Katsoris of Mullica Hill

Tom McAvinia of Mullica Hill

Gary Schall of Voorhees (enrolled in new VA pilot program)

Funwah “Duane” Wong of Voorhees (enrolled in new VA pilot program)

Veterans honored who are Bancroft staff members included:

Steven Rogers of Merchantville

Dan Keating of Doylestown, PA

Marc Gramatges of Folcroft, PA

Frank Purcell of Erial

Bancroft President Toni Pergolin noted that the 10 veterans who were honored represent all branches of the military: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard. They served in Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan between 1964 and 2007. They are specialists, privates, seamen and sergeants, she said.

“We are grateful for your service,” stated Pergolin, “and honored to be able to help veterans with brain injuries rebuild their lives.” 

Bancroft Brain Injury Services is a division of Haddonfield-based Bancroft, a leading nonprofit organization serving people with neurological disabilities, including autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Bancroft expects to provide even more support to veterans in the future, as it was recently approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to participate in a pilot rehabilitation program, funded by the VA. For more information, visit bancroft.org.