Ed Riccio, Jr. slowly approached the large pavilion at Tunxis Plantation Country Club in Farmington, appropriately decked out in red, white and blue, and quipped, “This place reminds me of a hangar at Pearl Harbor, big enough for me to land a plane in” There were no planes in sight at the Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open on Thursday, Oct. 2. But there was plenty of admiration and respect in the room for the 94-year-old Bristol native and resident, a Pearl Harbor survivor with a distinguished record of service in World War II, reported a press release from organizers of the open. Riccio was the guest of honor at the 6th annual affair, hosted by Hardware City Chapter 8 of the Disabled American Veterans and presented by Farmington Bank. Nearly 150 golfers and almost 200 guests, including newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and former Connecticut VA Commissioner Linda Schwartz as well as Bristol and New Britain Mayors Ken Cockayne and Erin Stewart, were on hand to raise dollars for veterans’ causes and to honor Riccio. A stream of well-wishers lined up at the Riccio family table prior to the post-golf ceremony, all eager to shake the hand of an […]
Ed Riccio, Jr. slowly approached the large pavilion at Tunxis Plantation Country Club in Farmington, appropriately decked out in red, white and blue, and quipped, “This place reminds me of a hangar at Pearl Harbor, big enough for me to land a plane in” There were no planes in sight at the Golden Kielbasa Veterans Open on Thursday, Oct. 2. But there was plenty of admiration and respect in the room for the 94-year-old Bristol native and resident, a Pearl Harbor survivor with a distinguished record of service in World War II, reported a press release from organizers of the open. Riccio was the guest of honor at the 6th annual affair, hosted by Hardware City Chapter 8 of the Disabled American Veterans and presented by Farmington Bank. Nearly 150 golfers and almost 200 guests, including newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and former Connecticut VA Commissioner Linda Schwartz as well as Bristol and New Britain Mayors Ken Cockayne and Erin Stewart, were on hand to raise dollars for veterans’ causes and to honor Riccio. A stream of well-wishers lined up at the Riccio family table prior to the post-golf ceremony, all eager to shake the hand of an […]
