It is ability — not disability — that really matters in this life. That message is written on the plaque given to Sid Gordon, who was recently named the Disabled Veteran of the Year for New York state.

Gordon, who lives in Saratoga Springs with his wife, Helen, serves as the chaplain of Disabled American Veterans Marcelle-Nolan Chapter 158 New York. DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity.

“Sid has been a real ambassador for our organization,” said Scott Stephenson, commander of the Marcelle-Nolan Chapter.

The DAV office in Glens Falls serves Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties.

Gordon was in the military police in Osaka, Japan, and post-atomic bomb Hiroshima from 1946 to 1948.

“The war was over, but there were still areas that most people don’t know about that the Japanese didn’t want to give up,” Gordon said. “They didn’t care the war was over.

They wanted to fight until they were killed. There was a name for people like this, pilots, they called them kamikaze pilots.”

He is tight-lipped about his injuries, but did say he suffered eardrum damage and also fell off a tank during his time in service.