by Alex Brooks
About 30 people attended a ceremony August 22 at the Big Moose Deli in Hoosick to honor three employees of the business, all combat veterans who served in Afghanistan.[private]
Manager Michael Poore, who has worked at the Big Moose for 5 years, was a U.S. Army Scout. Assistant Manager Shane Hatlee, who has worked at the Big Moose for three years, served in the U.S. Army Airborne Infantry. He is now in medical school studying to be a physician’s assistant. Justin Byrnes is the newest Veteran on the Big Moose team, having worked there for about a month. He was a U.S. Army Combat Medic.
Big Moose owner Emil Baker, himself a Vietnam Veteran, gathered the medals earned by each of his employees and mounted them in a presentation box so that the men could display them. Poore also received a second box containing his Army Commendation Medal earned for heroic service in Logar Province, Afghanistan in 2010.
Retired U.S. Congressman Michael McNulty and Rensselaer County Legislator Stan Browned spoke at the ceremony, as did Congressman Chris Gibson’s district Director Steve Bulger, who presented the three vets with certificates of congressional recognition signed by Gibson.[/private]