Trooper Henri A. LeGendre, 85, will share his memories of serving in the 9th Cavalry of the famed “Buffalo Soldiers” Friday and Saturday in Valhalla, Greenburgh and White Plains as part of Black History Month.

LeGendre is historian for the Greater North Carolina Chapter, 9th and 10th Horse Cavalry Association. The Buffalo Soldiers were all-black regiments of the U.S. Army who helped settle the West and later served at West Point until they were de-activated in 1946.

LeGendre will appear at the Whitney M. Young Jr. Society Scholarship Dinner scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Valhalla Middle/High School, 300 Columbus Ave., Valhalla. Call 914-683-5000 for more information.

On Saturday, he’ll be at the Theodore Young Community Center, 32 Manhattan Ave. at 2:30 p.m. Call 682-3648 for moree information.

LeGendre will be at St. Francis/St. Martha’s Episcopal Church, 575 Tarrytown Road, White Plains for Sunday’s 10 a.m. service. For more information call 914-946-8846.

Gov. Paterson announced in a press release today that he’s appointed a 32-year veteran of the Army National Guard as the state’s 52 Adjutant General.

Brig. Gen. Patrick Murphy will replace Maj. Gen. Joseph Taluto upon his retirement on Feb. 14.

In making the announcement, Paterson described Murphy as “an outsdanding officer who brings with him a wealth of expereience integrating the National Guard and active military components into state emergency and security planning, homeleand defense and anti-terrorism activities.”

As adjutant general, Murphy, 52,  will be responsible for ensuring that the state’s 16,000 Army and Air National Guard members are prepared for deployment to combat zones on federal missions and are ready to respond to state emergencies. He’ll also oversee the 2,500-member state Naval Militia and the 700-member New York Guard.

Congratulations to 17-year-old Michael Schur of Tarrytown, who last week became the latest member of his family to join the New York Guard, the state’s volunteer force which supports the National Guard.

Schur, an Irvington High School student,  was sworn in at Camp Smith Dec. 19,  by his aunt, Capt. Sophia Scarpellil-Hovraniak, and two uncles, Capt. Lubomyr Shchur and Sgt. Maj. Taras Szczur, who are all members of the Guard.

An active Boy Scout, Schur plans to apply to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Westchester’s Chapter 49, Vietnam Veterans of America, will host its annual candlelight vigil Sunday at Lasdon Park for those who did not come home.

A procession will move along the Trail of Honor, where candles will be lit at each of the war memorials.

The names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice will be read, and veterans will recite a few poems. There will also be a Christmas Tree on display in memory of the fallen.

The vigil is to begin at 4:30 p.m. and the public is invited. Lasdon Park is located at 2610 Amawalk Road (Route 35) in Somers.

Congratulations to Millie Evans of Pelham, who was to be honored today by Pelham American Legion Post 50 and Sound Shore Medical Center in New Rochelle for her 48 years of service to the hospital.

Mrs. Evans is the widow of Army Lt. Lee Evans, who was killed in action July 19, 1952 in Korea. The couple had been married for only two weeks when he was reported missing in action.

Mrs. Evans began hher career in the hospital mail room in 1961, worked as a unit clerk for 13 years and has handled payroll duties in the Nursing Administration Department for the past 34 years.

The hospital and American Legion post were to hold a reception in her honor this afternoon.

Family and friends of Marine Corps Capt. Eric A. Jones, who was killed in Aghanistan when his helicopter went down on Oct. 26 will hold a candlight vigil to honor his memory at 6 p.m Saturday at the Fox Lane High School football field in Bedford.

Jones, a Pound Ridge native, was providing close support to troops on the ground in the Helmand province. A 1999 Fox Lane graduate, he was buried in the National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass. on Nov. 7.

The public is invited to attend Saturday’s ceremony. Fox Lane High School is located at 632 S. Bedford Road

Westchester’s Chapter 49 of Vietnam Veterans of America will gather at the “Trail of Honor” in Lasdon Park Saturday to honor and remember the fallen during the holidays.

The VVA has partnered with “Wreaths Across America,” a national organization that collects and lays wreaths at some 300 cemeteries and veterans monuments across the nation. Click here to learn more.

At noon Saturday, the VVA will place seven wreaths at the Westchester County Vietnam Memorial and one at each of the statues along the trail of honor. The public is invited to join them.

Lasdon Park is located at 2610 Amawalk Road (Route 35) in Somers.

More than 800 service men and women deployed in Iraq and Afghanisan will have a happier holiday season thanks to the efforts of  volunteers who packed and shipped care packages containing personal hygiene items, snacks, magazines and other goodies on Sunday.

The seventh annual “Support for Our Troops’’ effort at St Augustine’s church drew 150 volunteers and donations of gift items and cash from more than 200 people. In all, 825 packages were sent overseas, paid for with more than $10,000 in donations to cover the shopping costs. The packages contained food, toiletries, batteris, playing cards, hats, and other items. Each box also included a letter or card written by a volunteer and a special note of support from New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

To find out more about the package drive and the organization behind it, visit their website by clicking here.

To date, the Larchmont volunteers have sent more than 2,800 care packages since May 2006.

It’s been 68 years since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor thrust America into World War II. Although President Franklin Roosevelt called Dec. 11, 1941 “a date that will live in infamy,” it seems that Pearl Harbor Day barely receives any recognition any more.

That’s a travesty, but I suppose it’s something that occurs naturally with the march of time. I’ll bet that few Americans can tell you when the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord or when the Union and Confederates clashed at Gettysburg or when their great-grandfathers fought in the trenches of Europe during World War I.

In the long run, it’s not the dates that matter – it’s the fact that throughout our history, men and women in uniform have given their lives for this country. We may not know their names, or when, where and how they died, but every day each of us should be aware of, and thankful for the sacrifices they made.

New Rochelle-based WVOX radio, 1460 on our AM dial and WVOX.com on the internet, will take calls from soldiers, sailors and airman stationed overseas on Thanksgiving during Bob Marrone’s “Good Morning Westchester” show from 7 :30 to 9 a.m.

The program was set up with help from Sons of the American Legion Post 50 in Pelham, which hosts a show on veterans and active service members Mondays at 2:30 p.m. Recordings of past shows can be found at their website by clicking here.

On Thanksgiving, callers stationed overseas will describe their day and send greetings to family members. The show airs before most of you will be eating, so take a moment to give a listen.

And have a great Turkey Day, while you’re at it.

White Plains American Legion Post 135 hosts it’s annual Thanksgiving luncheon for Montrose VA hospital patients tomorrow, as they’ve done for years. It’s a great event that gives the patients a chance to get out for a while and enjoy good food and company.

Look for a story about this year’s feast Wednesday on lohud.com and in The Journal News. I’ll try to post a fiew photos here too, for loyal At Ease! readers.

Westchester County veterans not registered for medical benefits can do so Thursday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the county Veterans Service Agency, 112 E. Post Road in White Plains.

Former service members can also obtain the new anti-ID theft veterans identification cards, which help streamline benefit services. Make sure to bring your discharge papers (DD-214) with you.

Veterans benefits are constantly changing and a visit to the Veterans Service Agency will keep you up to date on what you’re entitled to. For a complete rundown of the services offered by the agency, visit their website by clicking here.

A color guard from Pelham’s American Legion Post 50 joined New York State America Legion Commander William Kearsing and Fang Wang, former national vice commander on the CBS Early Show last week in a runup to Veterans Day.

The group appeared in the GM Building Plaza with Early Show co-hosts Harry Smith and Maggie Rodreguez. Color Guard members were Joseph Hall, Ron Oravec, Phil Perrorazio, Robert Lepple and Robert McGuirl.

The South Side Inn on Route 6N in Mahopac is hosting a “Support the Troops Night” Saturday.

Bring in socks, T-shirts, non-perishable snacks and other goodies between 4 and 8 p.m. and enjoy a free hot buffet and live music while you’re there. All donated items will be shipped to service members overseas.

Simultaneous fund raising events for Tower of Hope, an organization that teams veterans with severe physical and/or psychological disabilities with specially-trained service dogs are being held Wednesday at the Pocantico Hills home of Jeff and Pat Joseph and in Pound Ridge at the home of Dr. Emer Leahy and her husband, Donald Perun.

Founded by Sleepy Hollow resident Cathy Carilli, whose husband, Tom Sinton, was killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11, Tower of Hope pays about $25,000 for each service dog, which includes training, placement and ongoing veterinary care.

The dogs do a myriad of tasks for their owners, who receive the animals at no cost.

Check out the organization’s website here for more information on the programs, the fundraisers, and how you can help.