Manghi, Gene
Item
Title
Manghi, Gene
Creator
Cathy Moran Hajo
Birthplace
Northfield, VT
Conflict
Military Branch
Rank
Captain
Serial Number
O-1641540
Service Start Date
1965-06-09
Service End Date
1970-01
Biographical Text
Gene K. Manghi lived in Mahwah for a lot of his life but was originally from Northfield, VT. He had four siblings, named Maria, Paul, Mark, and Michael. His father also served in the Army, as a Staff Sgt. In 1961, he graduated from Northfield High School and was recognized for mathematics and as a member of the baseball team.
Manghi went on to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1965. When Manghi was interviewed for Mahwah Memories he described leaving for boot camp as a “feeling of adventure to be starting to do something besides school”. Immediately he was deployed to Germany. His friend John Hulsey Hays was his classmate and company mate at West Point; they both served in the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany, but Manghi was in Bamberg while his friend stayed in Bayreuth. He particularly enjoyed patrolling the border of East Germany, and loved the restaurants there.
Soon afterwards, he wanted to fight against communism, and fought in Vietnam. In Vietnam he only had “little contact” but still encountered “dangerous circumstances”. His time in active combat ended by January 1970.
To begin his life in Mahwah, Manghi married Bernadette Dombrowski on June 26, 1971 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Mahwah and they chose to live in the town together; she was from the town, and an artist. At the time Manghi worked as a research engineer at Abex Corp. in Mahwah. After graduating from West Point, he also attended Columbia University.
Manghi got involved in Mahwah’s local history too, presenting about West Mahwah in a series about “Neighborhoods of Mahwah” at the Mahwah Museum where he was also a docent.
The over 50 soccer league gave Manghi another fun way to be involved in the town, and the adults all took the game quite seriously; an article in the Midland Park Suburban News in 2006 notes that there were many “powerful headers and unbelievable kicks” to be seen!
As a leader in the town, Manghi also served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Board of Health, and the council at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
He would later return to West Point in July 2015 with some of his 1965 classmates, as they came back to Camp Buckner 50 years later to present the class of 2015 with a Class Flag as new graduates of Yearling CFT (Cadet Field Training). He remained quite connected with his class over the years.
Manghi went on to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1965. When Manghi was interviewed for Mahwah Memories he described leaving for boot camp as a “feeling of adventure to be starting to do something besides school”. Immediately he was deployed to Germany. His friend John Hulsey Hays was his classmate and company mate at West Point; they both served in the Second Armored Cavalry Regiment in Germany, but Manghi was in Bamberg while his friend stayed in Bayreuth. He particularly enjoyed patrolling the border of East Germany, and loved the restaurants there.
Soon afterwards, he wanted to fight against communism, and fought in Vietnam. In Vietnam he only had “little contact” but still encountered “dangerous circumstances”. His time in active combat ended by January 1970.
To begin his life in Mahwah, Manghi married Bernadette Dombrowski on June 26, 1971 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Mahwah and they chose to live in the town together; she was from the town, and an artist. At the time Manghi worked as a research engineer at Abex Corp. in Mahwah. After graduating from West Point, he also attended Columbia University.
Manghi got involved in Mahwah’s local history too, presenting about West Mahwah in a series about “Neighborhoods of Mahwah” at the Mahwah Museum where he was also a docent.
The over 50 soccer league gave Manghi another fun way to be involved in the town, and the adults all took the game quite seriously; an article in the Midland Park Suburban News in 2006 notes that there were many “powerful headers and unbelievable kicks” to be seen!
As a leader in the town, Manghi also served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Board of Health, and the council at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
He would later return to West Point in July 2015 with some of his 1965 classmates, as they came back to Camp Buckner 50 years later to present the class of 2015 with a Class Flag as new graduates of Yearling CFT (Cadet Field Training). He remained quite connected with his class over the years.
Family Members
Father was a Staff Sgt., family from Northfield, VT. Four sublings Maria Mark Michael Paul.
Married Bernadette Dombrowski
Married Bernadette Dombrowski
Collection
Citation
Cathy Moran Hajo, “Manghi, Gene,” Mahwah Veterans Project, accessed July 2, 2024, https://mahwahmuseum.reclaim.hosting/MVP/items/show/295.