MONTICELLO – Over 100 Sullivan County residents decided the sales and barbecues could wait on Monday for a far more important mission: Honoring soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen and women who gave all for their country.
At age 100, WWII veteran Ralph Feller was there to honor
fallen comrades in arms
Among those saluting after the wreath presentation were
former county Veterans Affairs Director Al Etkin, left, who
presided at the ceremony for the 25th year. Keynote
speaker Ratigliano is right
Among the speakers at the county’s Memorial Day service at the county government center in Monticello was State Senator John Bonacic who said he was gratified to see many young people, including Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in uniform, attending.
“It’s important that they know what patriotism is and what freedom is,” Bonacic said. “We all know freedom is not free. It was paid for by the blood of the 1.1 million veterans and their families that made the ultimate sacrifice.
One-point-one million is the number of American who have died in service to their country, dating back to the Revolutionary War. Over two-thirds of them died in the Civil War.
Keynote speaker Gene Ratigliano, the senior vice commander, VFW Department of New York, recalled the now-immortal words of General Douglas McArthur in his 1951 farewell address to Congress after being fired by President Truman.
“Most of us are familiar with the old adage ‘Old soldiers never die, they just fade away’.” Perhaps a more contemporary version is that they are often forgotten on another Monday holiday.
Ratigliano said his mission in speaking at Memorial Day events is to change that.
“Memorial Day should be an annual commemoration to honor armed forces personnel who were killed in action in defense of our country. It is fitting and proper that we gather her today to remember and honor those brave men and women who have given their lives that we might live in a free and prosperous United States of America.”
Several ceremonies and parades were held in Sullivan County on Monday.
