In April 2012, a memorial was established in the halls of Mamaroneck High School to honor the 12 men from the Mamaroneck/Larchmont community who lost their lives in service of our country during the conflict in Vietnam. This memorial was conceived and executed by classmate Sal Ticli, MHS 64 graduate and Vietnam veteran himself.
The opening ceremony was well attended. Among the speakers were Sal, and a guest speaker who had been with David Porterfield on the day he died. There is a page dedicated to the 12th Man Tradition and the Memorial Showcase on Facebook.
The 12th Man Tradition is a program associated with the memorial, in which MHS football team players wear engraved bracelets for individual soldiers during games. The Tradition, as well as an outreach program to local schools, honors the fallen and serves to teach students first hand about the sacrifices of war.
In honoring our fallen classmates, we also pay our gratitude and our tribute to all of the MHS alumni who served in Vietnam.
Recently a 12th Man Scholarship program was established to honor our fallen by providing an MHS football player with a scholarship to further his education. With the help of many people who share in their commitment to Sal’s original idea, the memorial continues to grow with artifacts and pictures, and most recently, special lighting.
The 12th Man projects could not have been possible without the full support and resources of the following members of the Mamaroneck High School staff, who took on the idea for this memorial as their own.
Anthony Vitti: Head Football Coach
Dr. Elizabeth Clain: Principal of MHS
Joe Liberti: MHS History Teacher, builder of the cases
Mike Chiapparelli: Head Coach, Baseball and Hockey; JV Football coach
Keith Yizar: Longtime loyal MHS football aficionado, active Mamaroneck community member
Mary Cronin: MHS Social Studies Teacher