Tribute to Our Friends
John K Conway
1942-2002
John Conway joined Sheldon’s Horse, the Second Continental Light Dragoons in the mid ‘80s and immediately become a leader. As the regiment went through many changes, John became very instrumental in forming the Second Regiment Light Dragoons, Tallmadge’s Troop. The new regiment was incorporated in August 1989 and John was appointed President. John held this post until March 2002 when the position was passed on. He did an extensive amount of research and documentation for the regiment. The Second Dragoons can boast having some of the best documentation on a regiment within the Brigade of the American Revolution (BAR). He also wrote a number of papers on the use of Dragoons in the hobby and other materials to be used in the hobby and for publication on the Regiments’ web page.
To John, the hobby of Revolutionary War reenacting was a way of life. He always strived to be the best and wanted to assist others at being the best. He pushed for esprit de corps within our regiment and camaraderie among the men. John’s standards for authenticity will always be in the forefront for our members.
His enthusiasm and drive for authenticity was evident from the start. He researched constantly to document the uniforms, actions and daily lives of the original soldiers of the regiment.
John became a friend to many people -- he was always helping other people strive to improve their impression. He freely shared his documentation to make our hobby the best that it could be. John was a Board Member at Large in the national organization of the BAR, where he served well for 2 years. He was a true inspiration to us all, but his biggest influence was on the unit’s commander. John became a friend who will never be forgotten. His love for history and his impact on his friends will last forever.
It was a great loss when John Conway passed away Monday morning July 8, 2002. He is survived by his wife Pat and daughter Caitlin. John now is at rest in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, NY.
I can’t say enough to show my admiration for this man. John was a historian, a researcher, a soldier, a leader, a great man and above all, a true friend.
Our thoughts will always be with you,
your friend,
Lt. Robert S. Allegretto
Commander, Second Regiment Light Dragoons, Tallmadge’s Troop
Bill Harrington
Bill joined us back in the early 90's and became our trumpeter. We even got him to shave in time. Bill was one of the happiest guys in the troop and loved making friends. He was always the first to help someone and pitch in where needed. When it came time to pay a bill, he was the first to open his wallet even when he was not doing well financially. Bill left the regiment some time ago and I last saw him in April 2002. A few years later I heard he took his own life. I never did find out why. A truly sad situation, I think of him often.
Lt. Robert S. Allegretto
Commander, Second Regiment Light Dragoons, Tallmadge’s Troop
Ted Comerford
1943-2007
Ted came to us in the late 80's when we met him at Stony Point in NY. He and his son Teddy had been members of the 2D CT Regt and were looking for something else to do. Ted loved to cook and since it was period correct for soldiers to cook, we were happy to let him go at it. Ted and Teddy left us about the time of the events of Sept 11 as Teddy was in the National Guard and was deployed for security duty. We lost touch until I heard of Ted's passing. I was happy to attend a memorial service for him a year after he passed away. It was nice to catch up with his family.
Lt. Robert S. Allegretto
Commander, Second Regiment Light Dragoons, Tallmadge’s Troop
Bob Buzzeo
1947-2009
Bob was a member of the unit from which we started this one. Bob and his son Robbie were inseparable and some of the best riders I've seen to date. Bob was always there to lend a hand, to help with riders, to let us meet at his home. His wife, Patty was one of the first women I met in the hobby and we all loved her. Bob Passed away a few years ago from cancer. He fought hard to the end and left a very big and loving family. I try to stay in touch through Robbie and I hope to see them now and then.
Lt. Robert S. Allegretto
Commander, Second Regiment Light Dragoons, Tallmadge’s Troop
Mike Lubrano
1967-2012
Mike was one of the most fun guys I ever met. He was hard to figure out at times but he always made people laugh. He had a few odd things happen during our time together which made for some fun stories. He moved to England for a while and we lost track. I found him on Facebook one day and started to catch up again. Then as quick as he came back into my life, he was gone again but this time for good. Mike was killed in an auto accident walking across a street.
Lt. Robert S. Allegretto
Commander, Second Regiment Light Dragoons, Tallmadge’s Troop