VETERAN OF THE YEAR
Nicholas M. Laiacona honored during recent ceremony
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Lieutenant Col. (ret.) Nicholas M. Laiacona, who served as a platoon leader and company commander in Vietnam, was honored as Veteran of the Year during recent ceremonies at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs.
The award is made by Friends of the New York State Military Museum and the Capital District of New York Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army.
The presidents of both groups presented the award and U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, gave Laiacona a special Congressional proclamation.
Col. John Andonie, chief of staff to the adjutant general, New York National Guard, discussed highlights of Laiacona’s career, and his achievements as a military leader.
Laiacona said healthcare and employment opportunities are the two most pressing issues for veterans of all eras. But
for obvious reasons, he has a special affinity for those who served in Vietnam.
“I always have three or four pins in my pocket,” he said. “Whenever I see someone wearing a hat that identifies him as a Vietnam veteran, I give him a pin. On the back it says, ‘A grateful nation thanks you for your service.’”
A Troy native, Laiacona joined the army in 1966, graduated from Infantry Officer Candidate School in 1967 and served in Vietnam as a platoon leader and company commander in the Mobile Riverine Force, 9th Infantry Division, in the Mekong Delta region.
On Jan. 25, 1969, he was wounded in the left arm by rifle fire while leading a reconnaissance in force mission. Platoons, consisting of 12 to 25 men, were assigned a given area, taken their by boat or helicopter, and then set out on foot to sweep the area.
“We mainly dealt with the Viet Cong,” Laiacona said.
He served in Vietnam from November 1968 to October 1969.
After returning home, he transferred to the Ordnance Corps and had a number of assignments in the U.S., Germany and Korea. In 1985, he was selected as one of the first certified U.S. Army material acquisition managers and became one of the first officers in the Army Acquisition Corps.
Laiacona retired on Jan. 31, 1991 with more than 24 years of service to his country.
His awards and decorations include the Combat Infantry Badge, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star for Valor with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, three Air Medals, Army Commendation Medal for Valor with four Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with star, Vietnam Service Medal with four stars, Korean Defense Medal and other U.S. and Vietnam service awards.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Program Management Course, Materiel Acquisition Management Course and was a distinguished graduate of the Management of Defense Acquisition Contracts Course.
After retiring, Laiacona worked for several corporations in support of U.S. Army armament research, development and engineering where he used the expertise obtained during his military career to further support army technical developments and ammunitions. He has also been very active in several veterans organizations, most notably the Association of the U.S. Army. He is the Capital District chapter’s immediate past president and continues to serve on its executive committee.
A 1962 graduate of La Salle Institute in Troy, he is very active in the La Salle Institute Alumni Association as its current president.
Laiacona graduated Siena College in 1966 and has two master’s degrees, one from Troy State University (1980) and one from Florida Institute of Technology (1992).
He and his wife, Christina, have three sons and live in Bolton Landing.