For years, Dr. Joe Mastromatteo has been honored to carry the POW/MIA flag with the American Legion in the annual Holiday Lighted Parade through downtown Lake Orion.
This year, his duties in the parade will expand to include Grand Marshall, as he has been chosen Orion’s Citizen of the Year by the Orion Area Parade Group and The Review.
‘This wonderful honor that’s been bestowed on me, I only accept it in honor of the many volunteers and the work they’ve done on the Veterans Memorial, along with all of the other nominees for this award,? Mastromatteo said.
From a list of many worthy candidates (the finalists were revealed in last week’s Review), Mastromatteo’s many nomination forms stood out. His work for the past 15 years with the Veterans Memorial is unparalleled and he has also offered goods, services and even office space from his dental practice in the Georgetown Building at 312 S. Broadway.
‘Volunteerism is near and dear to my heart,? he said. ‘I think that is how a community grows in stature.?
When it comes to the Veterans Memorial, now considered one of Orion’s biggest gems and centrally located at M-24 and Odanah, the Veteran Mastromatteo said it was easy to get motivated.
‘That’s a labor of love for all of us, not just me,? he said. ‘There are a few dozen others that have worked just as hard.?
The idea came to fruition back in September of 1992.
‘I was on the Chamber of Commerce and was nominated to be on the beautification committee,? he said.
The Veterans Memorial seemed like a great idea, Mastromatteo said, because it combined local and national interests.
‘We didn’t know what a big project it would turn out to be,? he admitted.
Mastromatteo said he was overwhelmed by how much paperwork needed to be completed, among other things.
Architect Leonard Else donated some services and Mastromatteo joked that attorney Greg Kudela ‘kept the IRS from knocking on my door.? In addition, he thanked Joe Zilkewich and the Bob Watros family for thier help, and Joe Guinn and his family, who donated time and materials and ‘put up all the walls and arches.?
‘But it’s unfair to name just one or two volunteers,? Mastromatteo said, ‘because there are dozens.?
‘You don’t do these things alone,? he said, giving special thanks to a dedicated board of directors.
‘We’ve had monthly meetings for the better part of 15 years,? he said, noting some have gone deep into the night.
But Dr. Joe, as he is known to many in the community, said every bit of effort has been worth it to have such a wonderful memorial.
‘It’s exceeded our expectations,? he said.
Over $800,000 in donations, materials and work has gone into the memorial.
‘Every penny of every donation has gone into the memorial,? Mastromatteo said, adding that there still is more work to be done.
‘We’ve got about $230,000 to go,? he said. ‘But then somebody always comes up with another idea.?
Mastromatteo said the memorial has helped to tell stories like that of the Parkhurst family, which has had members serve in the American Revolution, Civil War, World War I and World War II. Jim, a WWII veteran has a military uniform museum at the Oxford American Legion.
Mastromatteo said he learned that many streets around town, like Hemingway, are named in honor of Orion veterans.
Along the way, the community has come to realize, like Mastromatteo, that the memorial is much more than its name would have you believe.
‘We always thought that it’s not just a memorial, but also a forum for community events and announcements,? he said.
‘After 9/11, it was a wonderful place to have the township supervisor make an announcement that we stand firm for our country,? he added.
Earlier this year, the memorial served as a gathering place for friends and family of missing Pvt. Byron Fouty, who has Lake Orion ties and whose step-father, Gordy Dibler Jr., lives in Oxford.
‘He asked if he could use the memorial and we just jumped at the chance,? Mastromatteo said of his conversation with Dibler.
This past weekend, the memorial was host to an annual ceremony in honor of Veterans Day.
‘We’ve had many special Veterans Day celebrations at the memorial,? Mastromatteo said. ‘We now have 40 names in our Orion community to bless and forever remember.?
For Mastromatteo, events like last Sunday’s make all the work worth it.
‘It’s something that every community should do and we’re so proud of our efforts to this point,? he said.
In addition, Mastromatteo has offered office space to the Community Coalition for Youth to help fight drug usage.
‘Rather than see the office sit empty, I’m more than happy to help in that direction,? he said. ‘The war against drugs is so important.?
He said credit for his donation of supplies to troops serving abroad belongs to Charlotte Cito and her daughter, Dawn, for their tireless efforts.
‘It is just a wonderful thing,? he said of their ‘Operation Guardian Angel? program.
Mastromatteo has seven children, all of whom attended St. Joseph School at one point and four of whom went to Lake Orion High School.
He moved to Bloomfield Township from Orion in the mid-1980s and has a second office in Birmingham, but says his heart is always in Orion.
‘I’m here 90-percent of the time nowadays,? he said of his Lake Orion office, where he has worked since 1962.
‘I’m just trying to be as helpful to the community as I can,? he said.
And that attitude makes us proud to call Dr. Joseph Mastromatteo Orion’s Citizen of the Year.