Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Ralph Galati grew up in an area filled with World War II veterans and always looked up to their examples of service. He joined an ROTC program, and from there, enlisted in the military. In the late 1960s, he felt where he would be deployed was inevitable. "If you survived flight school," Galati explains, "you were going to Vietnam. But I thought that was where I was supposed to be."

In late October 1971, Galati was assigned to Thailand as a Weapons Systems Officer. He quickly rose in the ranks, being upgraded to different missions. In February 1972, on a flight taking his team directly over North Vietnam, his plane was hit by a surface air missile and he was forced to eject-landing in a village where he and his team were immediately captured.

Galati spent the next 14 months as a prisoner of war in Hanoi. He describes the experience as "extraordinarily developmental," in that he learned a lot about himself, about life, and about survival-things most people will never consider. "52 years later, I'm still alive. I'm thankful for that every day," Galati says.

After repatriation, he continued to serve in the military, first as a flight instructor, and then on a staff assignment at the Pentagon. Later, he built careers in the business world and as an adjunct teacher. Both jobs helped Galati hone his marketing, writing, and speaking skills that would help him connect with fellow veterans. Initially, he used his drive for service to encourage veterans to apply for benefits-but as he neared retirement age, Galati knew he wanted to dedicate more time and energy to helping other service members.

It was around this time that Galati received the first-ever Freedom Medal Award from the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association (DCVMA). Soon after, he started volunteering with them and is now a board member. DVCMA built and maintains a monument to local service members to ensure they'll never be forgotten. They also provide a place for the community to reflect on, learn about, and celebrate the dedication of these heroes.

The organization holds monthly ceremonies where families can visit and remember a deceased veteran from any war, organizes clothing and food drives, and more. "It's inspirational...it's a really nice venue for veterans and community events," Galati says.

You can learn more about Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association and how they're honoring local veterans on their website: https://delcoveteransmemorial.org.

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