The ceremony included a wreath presentation
HURLEY – About 100 people gathered Friday morning outside Hurley Town Hall in observance of Veterans Day. They stood under windy, clear brisk skies, while local veterans performed a brief flag ceremony and rifle salute.
First Sgt. Frank Ruggerio, the main speaker, explained the event. “This day is special to me for many reasons. It provides me the opportunity to honor and dignity the sacrifices of those that came before me. Without them, I would not be standing here today,” he said.
Ruggerio recalled an invasion operation in northern Iraq back in February 2003. Asking for 12 volunteers, the entire platoon acted as one all – 46 stepped forward. “As leader I was both shocked and honored that my platoon would display such a unified and unselfish act of courage,” he noted.
“Some would never return,” Ruggerio said. “The story is not mine alone, but belongs to the countless young Americans willing to sacrifice everything they have for their country. They come from all across this great nation, and each one volunteered for their own reasons. But when called to action, they realize their cause is bigger than themselves, and they’re willing to put themselves in harm’s way for the greater good, so that we may remain free from oppression, tyranny, and cowardly acts of terrorism. These soldiers know the inherent dangers of service to their country. They know going in that they may not make it out.”
