Senate Democratic Leader Inducts Yonkers Resident into Veterans' Hall of Fame

From the New York State Senate:

Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins inducted 73-year-old Samuel L. Reddic of Yonkers into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame. The honor and recognition is bestowed each year on a veteran from each Senate District who has not only valiantly served our country in the military, but also has led a distinguished civilian life.

“I’m proud to recognize Sam for his commitment to serving our nation and community, both in war and in peace.” said Sen. Stewart-Cousins. “We owe Sam and all of our veterans and active military personnel a great debt of gratitude and support for the sacrifices they and their families have made to protect our freedoms.”

During his fourth year of a plumbing apprenticeship in 1965 and at the height of the Cold War, Samuel L. Reddic was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in a tense and divided Germany. A skilled marksman, Sam achieved sharpshooter qualification, earned a National Defense Service Medal and was honorably discharged in 1971 at the rank of Specialist 5. He returned home to finish the final year of his apprenticeship. In 1981, Sam was shot six times by a would-be robber, but survived the attack and continued working for 19 years with two bullets still lodged near his spine.

Ten years after resuming civilian life, Samuel moved to Yonkers and continued working as a plumber for the New York City Board of Education and as a member of his UA Plumbers Local 1. As one of the first African-American plumbers in New York City, he has been a hardworking and proud union member for 50 years in spite of decades of prejudice he experienced in his chosen field and is one on a short list of lifetime members of the Plumbers Local 1.

An inspiration to others, Samuel has served as commander of the Samuel H. Dow Post in Yonkers, where he works to help his local veterans and recruit new servicemen and women to join the post. He also served on the executive board of HRCA, the Hudson River Community Association. Sam and his wife, Millicent, a nurse and hero in her own right, have two daughters. One daughter, Melissa Denise, continued her parents’ tradition of service by serving three tours with the U.S. Army in Iraq.