Bert Jablon enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II before he turned 18, which meant his parents had to sign for him. He did not start running until he was 50. At 99, the Syosset veteran is one of six Long Islanders that Canine Companions will honor on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at its 15th annual Salute Independence Veterans Day awards ceremony at Captain Bill's Restaurant & Catering on Ocean Avenue in Bay Shore.

The evening runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and includes a buffet dinner, a presentation of colors, a demonstration by Canine Companions service dogs and the awards themselves. The nonprofit trains service dogs for people with disabilities, including veterans, and its Northeast Region campus is on Middle Island Road in Medford.

The honorees

Sgt. Ronald Shindel of Merrick receives the night's top honor, the Colonel E. David Woycik Jr. Outstanding Service Award. A retired New York police officer, Shindel was commanding officer of Operation Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 attacks and is now a chief with the Port Authority Police Department, serving as executive officer for the New York area's airports and seaports. He enlisted in the Air National Guard, serves as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for New York, and is a Hofstra University graduate who sits on the board of Catholic Health. At the Port Authority he developed the George Washington Bridge's suicide intervention protocol, which the organization says has more than doubled the number of lives saved there each year.

Cpl. Bert Jablon of Syosset, born in 1927, receives the World War II service award. His decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. On May 2 of this year he flew to Washington, D.C., with Honor Flight Long Island, where he was the oldest veteran on the trip and the only World War II veteran from Long Island aboard. He has finished 5Ks and half marathons since taking up running at 50, still exercised seven days a week at 98, and served for decades on the executive board of the Greater Long Island Running Club.

Seaman Ben Galan receives the Korean War service award. Drafted in 1955, he served two years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea, then spent more than 50 years in the Coast Guard Auxiliary doing vessel safety checks, boating education and search and rescue support. He has also volunteered with the American Red Cross in disaster relief.

Sgt. Keith Youse is honored for his Vietnam service alongside his Canine Companions service dog, Lila III. Youse joined the 101st Airborne Division in 1967, led gun jeeps protecting medics and served with a recon unit through the Tet Offensive. He came home with two Bronze Stars and two Army Commendation Medals, along with injuries and post-traumatic stress that his service dog now helps him manage in crowds and lines.

Staff Sgt. Arturo Edwards of Farmingdale, 80, is also honored for Vietnam service. Born in Panama, he immigrated to the United States in 1964 and was drafted within a year, serving with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade at Bien Hoa. He stayed in the Army Reserves with the 340th Military Police until 1996 and today works with Vietnam Veterans of America, AMVETS, the VFW and the American Legion on behalf of homeless veterans.

Capt. Jay Caputo receives the Operation Enduring Freedom service award for a 39-year career in the Navy and Naval Air Reserve, from 1970 to 2009, that began with enlisting as an airman recruit and working as an air traffic controller at NAS New York. After Sept. 11 he mobilized with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and deployed to its office in London. In civilian life he rose to Nassau County Police Chief of Detectives.

The Moonjumpers Charitable Foundation, which connects Long Island veterans with services through its own programs, receives the Caring for Community Award.

What Canine Companions does

Canine Companions breeds, raises and trains service dogs and places them free of charge, including with veterans who have physical disabilities or post-traumatic stress. Veterans train with their new dogs at the Medford campus before going home together. The Salute Independence evening is one of the region's yearly events supporting that work.

If you want to go

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