WELCOME TO POST 717

LOCATED AT

Friedberg Jewish Community Center

15 Neil Court

Oceanside, NY

Our Post has been headed by Commander John Robbins for the past eighteen years. Just this January 2026, the baton was passed to our new Commander, Jay Brick.

Commander Jay Brick is an Army Vietnam Veteran, having served from November 1964 through August 1967. Just under thirteen months were spent with the 196^th Light Infantry Brigade, a 4000-man unit, in two locations: Tay Ninh, 45 miles from Cambodia, and Chu Lai, on the coast of the South China Sea, 50 south of Da Nang.

Infantry Operations and Intelligence at battalion level were his main duties for his first five months. With Search and Destroy missions, Commander Brick handled the needed operational paperwork to be distributed to Combat Company Commanders, along with creating the daily passwords for field operations between units. It was at this time that he would be part of these missions, walking through jungles and rice paddies. He knew men whose names, sadly, are etched on the Washington, DC Wall.

Then came the transfer for his last seven months into the brigade’s Awards and Decorations Section. Visualize a Hollywood war movie, with soldiers in rows at attention. At the front is a General, listening to a junior officer reading out a citation for bravery under fire. At the finish, the General pins the Bronze or Silver Star or Distinguished Service Cross for bravery onto the chest of an honored soldier. Commander Brick authored that citation, created the medal’s certificate and packaged it for the General’s signature. The paperwork was then given to the recipient, to be cherished by both his family and him.

He believes that it was an honor to be a part of this sacred military experience. Commander Brick himself was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service in a Combat Zone.

Post 717 hosts five to six breakfasts for veterans and their families through each year on Sundays at the JCC for a $10 contribution to the Post. Military ceremony is part of the events. Bagels, lox, cream cheese, tuna salad, rolls, butter and dessert are plentiful. We have local elected officials or other noted figures in attendance to provide valuable information from the lectern. Videos on various subjects are also shown. Additionally, there are several breakfasts at local restaurants.

Our Post reaches out to help Samaritan Village, where veterans are recovering from drug or alcohol abuse. Working in the community is vital. Each Veterans’ Day we ask the community to donate during our annual Poppy Drive.

The Post always welcomes Veterans from all American conflicts:

• Korea
• Vietnam
• Desert Storm
• Iraqi Freedom
• Afghanistan

We also welcome, as Sponsors, all retired members of the Israeli Defense Force.

Please have any veterans you know contact us for membership or sponsorship. All are welcome.