Hanscom AFB, MA – Hanscom Federal Credit Union named WWII veteran Allison Blaney as its first Heroes Among Us honoree of 2019. Blaney was honored on Thursday, June 27th at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, MA, where the Lowell Spinners won playing against the Tri-City ValleyCats. Blaney was able to meet with the players, throw the first pitch of the game, enjoy a summertime meal from Home Plate BBQ, and watch the Spinners play from a private suite with friends and family.

Blaney, 94, was nominated for the Hero Among Us program by Alix Belandria, Hanscom FCU’s Natick branch manager. Belandria said that during one of Blaney’s weekly visits to the branch, located at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Systems Center, he mentioned that he’d served as an Army medic during World War II. He parachuted with the 101st Airborne onto Utah Beach in France before dawn on June 6, 1944, hearing the whiz of bullets around him as he approached the beach. He then, with other medics, marched for three miles to a nearby chateau, where over the next six days he worked tirelessly as a surgical technician caring for wounded soldiers during the D-Day invasion. He later served in England, Holland, Belgium, and Germany during the war. Blaney was discharged from the Army in 1952, but re-enlisted for another ten years before retiring in 1962.

“I was at a managers meeting this spring, “ said Belandria, “and when my boss told us about Heroes Among Us,  I thought of Mr. Blaney. Someone has to recognize this man for his service and I recommended him with all my heart.”

Throughout the summer, Hanscom FCU will be honoring other military servicemembers and veterans at Lowell Spinners games.

About Hanscom FCU

Hanscom Federal Credit Union, headquartered at Hanscom Air Force Base, serves over 88,000 members across the country and overseas through 21 branches, over 100,000 service centers and surcharge-free ATMs, 24-hour telephone service, and a web-based branch. The credit union, chosen Best Credit Union in America 2019 by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, holds $1.3 billion in assets. Follow Hanscom FCU on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and check out our MoneyWisdom blog today.

Photo credit: Retired Army Sergeant and World War II veteran Allison Blaney, Hanscom FCU’s first Hero Among Us of 2019, in front of LeLacheur Park in Lowell, MA.