Five From Naugatuck Will Receive First Robert L. Genovese Patriotism Award

The Naugatuck High School Alumni Association will be sponsoring a flag raising ceremony at Veteran’s Field (at the Greyhound Monument site near the football field) on Saturday, Nov., beginning at 2 p.m. sharp.  As part of the ceremonies, awards will be presented recognizing past graduates of Naugatuck High School acknowledging their patriotism and service to the Borough of Naugatuck. 

This new award, established by the NHS Alumni Association, is named in honor of Robert L. Genovese, a 1960 graduate of Naugatuck High School, who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1960 to 1968.  He is a veteran of the Vietnam War and has been active in various veteran activities and organizations for the past forty-four years.  They include:  Past Commander of VFW Post 1946 and DAV Chapter 11 in Naugatuck; co-founder and President of the Veterans Who Care Committee, Inc. from 1988 to 2009; a Veterans Service Officer for the State of CT from 1996 to 2004; was inducted into the State of Connecticut Veteran’s Hall of Fame in 2009; and he is a member of American Legion Post 17 and the Catholic War Veterans Post 708 of Naugatuck, the Italian American War Veterans Post 8 in Waterbury, AMVETS, Veterans of the Vietnam War, and the Vietnam Veterans of America.  He has also received a number of awards which include the 2012 Franklin Johnson Citizenship Award; was recognized in 2012 by the NHS Alumni Association; and received the Citizen of the year award in 2011 from the Naugatuck Exchange Club.  He is also a member of the Naugatuck Elk’s Lodge # 967 (he received the Elk’s National Veteran Volunteer Award for 1998-99), and the Knights of Columbus Ojeda Council # 33 (he was awarded Honorary Life Membership), and serves on the Board of Directors for the Human Resource Development Agency in Naugatuck.  He resides in Naugatuck with his wife of 50 years, Rosemarie.

The first recipients of the “Robert L. Genovese Patriotism Award” are:  John K. McSherry (Class of ’37), Joseph R. Healy (’47), Robert Stauffer (’47), Manuel Matos (’51), William Matos (’51).

Members of all local veteran’s and civic organizations, as well as the general public, are invited to attend the ceremony.  Due to the lack of seating at the monument site, it is advisable for those attending who need to sit, to bring a folding chair.  For those with disabilities,  a golf cart will be available to transport them from the parking lot to the monument site.  In the event of rain, a ceremony will be held under cover at the schools main entrance.  For further information regarding this event, please call Theresa Swanson, President of the Naugatuck High School Alumni Association, at 203 729-1254.