Huntington Unveils Plaque at Memorial Day Ceremony

Veterans Advisory Board members who have passed away remembered in plaque at Town’s Veterans Plaza

The Town of Huntington marked its annual Memorial Day Wreath Ceremony May 29 by dedicating a plaque in the Town’s Veterans Plaza in memory of the 18 members of the Town’s Veterans Advisory Board who have passed away.

“This plaque is in memory of those veterans who put this beautiful plaza together, who served as leaders in the Town of Huntington. May they rest in peace and may their memories always be alive,” Supervisor Frank P. Petrone said in unveiling the bronze plaque with Bill Ober, the current board chairman, as relatives of those memorialized on the plaque looked on.

The plaque unveiling was the highlight of the ceremony, which included performances by The Church of St. Patrick Adult Chorale and Children’s Choir, an invocation and benediction by the Rev. Dr. William Spencer, who is also a county legislator, a Memorial Day remembrance by Paul Kelly, chair of the Vietnam Veterans Committee of the Veterans Advisory Board, and remarks by members of the Town Board and County Executive Steve Bellone.

“Let us remember Memorial Day as a day to look back.” Supervisor Petrone said in his remarks. “It is a day to remember our fallen, but it is also a day to say thank you to the men and women who are here with us today who survived these terrible wars.”

Referring to the Veterans Advisory Board members being memorialized on the plaque, County Executive Bellone said, “They are typical of American veterans, who not only have served our country, but who have come back home and worked to build the communities in which we live today. They have continued to serve and serve throughout their lives. Our country is what it is today because of the American veteran.”

Councilwoman Susan A. Berland said, “Keep the memories of the loved ones that you have lost in service alive. They are no longer with us, but their stories always will be. We are a nation of stories, we are a people of stories. Share those stories, spread them around. The more you tell the next generation the stories you have, the more those stories will last.”

Councilman Eugene Cook said, “Every day, we should be thanking a veteran and a volunteer for all their hard work and for making this Town, this state and this country a fantastic country to live in. We are a free country because of the hard work and sacrifices each and every one of them have done.”

Councilwoman Tracey A. Edwards said, “This is a day of thanks, a day of gratitude, a day of remembrance. I am also very proud the Town of Huntington continues to partner with Suffolk County and the United Way on Vets Build.  It is also so important not only to make sure that we are honoring the veterans who sacrificed their lives, but to make sure that those who come home have an opportunity to live in peace and to be able to work and provide for their families.”