For a lifetime of service to his city, state and nation in his U.S. military and civilian careers in the City of New York, Lt. Col. John W. Peterkin is highly deserving of the “Veteran of the Year” award and the praise and gratitude of all Americans.
Lieutenant Colonel John W. Peterkin (Ret.) U.S. Army, a decorated war hero who served in WW II, the Korean War and Vietnam, leads a humble life in the charming Village of Bellerose Manor, Queens. A descendant of Jamaican, Native American and African heritage, John lives with his Vietnamese wife, Ngoc Thi, and his two sons, Captain Sylburn Van Peterkin, who serves in the U.S. Army Reserves and as a Police Officer for the City of New York, and Captain James Van Peterkin Thach (Ret.) U.S. Army, who was seriously wounded while serving in Iraq, and now supports the Wounded Veteran Initiative helping his fellow veterans.
Only the limited circle of John’s closest friends and family have known of his lifetime of service to our city, state and nation up until now. He now has the opportunity to tell his story given the occasion of being honored at the gala Lincoln Day Dinner on Feb. 9, hosted by the Queens Village Republican Club, of which he is a longtime member. With a stellar line-up of speakers in the elegant setting of the famous Antun’s of Queens Village, the Lincoln Day Dinner is a commemoration of our greatest American president and the father of the Republican Party, Abraham Lincoln.
“ Four more years” hundreds of cheering supporters of Westchester County Executive Republican Robert Astorino chanted at his White Plains campaign headquarters as the polls closed election night this past November. By 10:30, less than two hours later, Astorino’s challenger, New Rochelle Mayor Democrat Noam Bramson, conceded defeat, and Astorino’s still growing crowd of enthusiastic supporters realized that the 46 year old incumbent’s reelection to his second four year term had been secured (by what the final count the following day proved to be a 56%to 44% landslide). But within days after the election, a significant number of both Democrat and Republican Party insiders and a host of NYS political journalists began to speculate that the next campaign for Astorino might occur not in 4 more years- in a race for a third term for county executive- but rather take place next year- in a race against one term incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo- for Governor of New York State.
