Keeping the troops rolling during the Vietnam War was Army mechanic Bill Biondi of Mastic Beach. The Specialist 4th Class was drafted right out of high school in 1968 and went to work on tanks, jeeps, armored personnel carriers—anything in the motor pool that aided the war effort.
Biondi served three years at Camp Drum and Fort Knox, where he met his wife, Mary, the daughter of a sergeant major. They moved to Mastic Beach, where they raised three daughters and enjoy seven grandchildren. Like many, the Brooklyn native’s family had a summer cottage in the area and decided to make the beach community their permanent home.
One of the first things he did upon returning home was join the Mastic Beach Fire Department where he has volunteered for 53 years. For 18 years he’s been a fire district commissioner and currently serves as board chairman. The Long Island Lighting Company retiree served in the Brookhaven Town Highway Department for 10 years and was the mayor of Mastic Beach Village.
Biondi stays busy with the fire department. He recently brought the members up to speed on a new piece of search equipment that enables responders to locate bodies and other objects underwater. He also recently facilitated the purchase of a high-water rescue vehicle and helps coordinate the Marine Incident Response Team, a coalition of local fire departments geared to marine rescue.