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In an era of ‘look at me’ ‘influencers’, Armando ‘Chick’ Galella was as humble as could be. Asked to talk about himself, he talked about others. When admirers tried to praise him, he turned away.
Obituary: Pearl Harbor Survivor ‘Chick’ Galella, Born in Sleepy Hollow, Dies at 100
“The heroes are the guys under the flags,” he said.
For eighty years, Galella devoted his life to remembering what most people would have done their utmost to forget: a Sunday morning when the paradise of Hawaii became a living hell as Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor and plunged America into World War II.
Galella was just 20 years old on December 7, 1941, a self-described “little Italian boy from Barnhardt Avenue” in Sleepy Hollow, called North Tarrytown when he grew up there. Galella was at nearby Hickam Field, which was also attacked. At Pearl Harbor, those killed that day included his friend from Tarrytown, John Horan.
When Galella returned to North Tarrytown after the war, he told Horan’s mother, Margaret, the details of her son’s last days. And Galella told anyone who would listen all about that Sunday, that place, that war.
When he died in September 2021 at the age of 100, Galella had left his mark on his community in so many ways.
He defended the push to give Horan a riverfront park at the foot of Beekman Avenue. Horan’s Landing is a reality thanks to Galella. That includes a monument on the landing, dedicated to Gold Star mothers like Margaret Horan, whose children were sacrificed to the war and whose sleepless nights were the price for the freedom they carried.
Students held a surprise 99th birthday party for Armando “Chick” Galella on January 17, 2020 at Sleepy Hollow Middle School. Galella from Sleepy Hollow survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. He died in September 2021 at the age of 100.
But Galella had an impact that went beyond just bronze statues and names on parks. For decades he spoke at school assemblies or scout meetings, testifying to what he had seen. He had lived history and was determined to share it in his way and on his terms. Countless students in the Tarrytowns and beyond remember the grandfather figure with a powerful story to share.
This weekend marks the 83rd anniversary of “the date that will live in infamy,” the day “Chick” Galella asked us all to remember.
We remember, Chick. With gratitude.
Reach Peter D. Kramer at pkramer@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Chick Galella of Sleepy Hollow witnessed Pearl Harbor, sacrifice
