Volusia County Council honors 92-year-old Port Orange veteran

Sheldon Gardner, Daytona Beach News-Journal
·2 min read

Port Orange resident Joseph Sicinski has a couple of additional honors to go with his induction into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame.

The Volusia County Council named Tuesday ― May 21, 2024 ― as "Joseph Sicinski Day" and posted his name and photo in the first-floor rotunda of the county government headquarters building at 123 W. Indiana Ave. in DeLand. The awards came not only for his military service but also for his service to the community and local veterans, according to the proclamation.

"He’s a well-known asset to the veterans community, having served as president and commander of the Korean War Veterans Association in Port Orange, vice president for the state association, and first vice president of the Veterans Museum and Education Center in Daytona Beach," the county said in a press release.

Sicinski served in the U.S. Air Force in the Korean War, acting "as a crew chief for F-84 fighter bombers with the 49th Fighter Bomber Squadron in Japan and Korea," according to the county. He also served in California as part of the 4701st Airborne Early Warning Squadron in Sacramento.

The Florida Veterans Hall of Fame honors people who in or out of military service "have made a significant contribution to the State of Florida through civic, business, public ‎service or other pursuits," according to the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Korean War veteran Joseph Sicinski poses with his wife, Anita, and grandson Capt. Kurt Schoeps of the Volusia Sheriff's Office while holding a proclamation that named May 21, 2024, as "Joseph Sicinski Day." Members of the Volusia County Council stand on the dais.
Korean War veteran Joseph Sicinski poses with his wife, Anita, and grandson Capt. Kurt Schoeps of the Volusia Sheriff's Office while holding a proclamation that named May 21, 2024, as "Joseph Sicinski Day." Members of the Volusia County Council stand on the dais.

Sicinski was among 20 Florida veterans inducted into the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame on Nov. 14, according to the department. Affairs. Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Cabinet approved their inductions in September.

Sicinski attended the events on Tuesday. Councilman and U.S. Navy veteran Jake Johansson read the proclamation, and Sicinski posed for photos with the council and his family.

Those in attendance included his wife, Anita, and Volusia Sheriff's Office Capt. Kurt Schoeps, his grandson.

The couple have two children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, according to the county.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Korean War veteran gets day named in his honor in Volusia County