Dean Phillippe, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, enlisted in the United States Air Force in the early 1960s to get ahead of a draft, completing basic training in Texas before being assigned to the 773rd Radar Squadron in Montauk, New York.
Dean traveled to Montauk by train, spending New Year's Eve stranded at Penn Station after missing his connection.
"The next morning, I get to Montauk, and they stop the train. I get off the train. There's nothing there."
First shocked by the desolate area around the train station, Dean came to appreciate the landscape. His appreciation grew into a lifelong commitment to preservation and interpretation of Montauk's history, centered on parklands and the archaeology of the Montaukett within Montauk County Park.
Last Updated: July 21, 2026
