Our Veteran of the Year ceremony was held this past Saturday, November 2nd at the Military Museum.  The honoree this year was SP4 John Wands Sacca.  Pictured below are from left to right, Congressman Paul Tonko, Colonel Jake Goldberg, ARNG PAO, Rev. Charlene Robbins, SPF Sacca, Barry Hartman, Friends of the New York State  Military Museum and Brigadier General John Andonie, Dir. Joint Staff, New York National Guard.

 

Frequently, we try and sing the praises of our volunteer docents at the military Museum.  Our museum could not exist without our volunteers who tirelessly contribute their time manning the front desk at the museum.  One of our long time volunteers, started volunteering  before 2015, and still volunteering is Mark Pollak. 

Mark, from Gloversville, grew up there, attended St. Marys Elementary School and Bishop Burke High School.  His parents grew up in the Gloversville, Johnstown area.  Mark’s father served in World War II with the Sixth Armored Division in France and Germany.  He and his wife have raised two children, a son and a daughter.

Mark worked for thirty-five years with the Gloversville Fire Department and retired recently.  In his spare time, he is President of the Board of Directors for the Fulton County Museum in Gloversville.  This museum was established in 1972 in what was an old elementary school in Gloversville. And, during racing season, Mark works at the Saratoga Springs Race Track as a fire marshal.

Being interested in military history drew Mark to our museum as a volunteer docent and his love of local history has resulted in Mark’s commitment to our museum.