KINGSTON – A candlelight vigil was conducted Thursday in front of the Ulster County Office Building on the eve of the Memorial Day weekend.
Bob Brown, of Saugerties VFW Post 5034, a Vietnam veteran, attended the ceremony as the sun started to fade. “These are the people that defend us,” he said, adding, “They do the dirty work.”
A small crowd looked on at the county’s veterans memorial, which has the names of 1,300 county residents who died in conflicts from the Revolutionary War to our current conflict in the Middle East.
“It’s a tremendous testament to the small towns in Ulster County,” said Tim LaBarge, Major General and Commander of the New York State Air National Guard, the keynote speaker.
Ulster County Executive, Pat Ryan, a graduate of the United States Military Academy (USMA), is a battle-tested veteran. The top-elected official in Ulster served two tours in Iraq as an Army Intelligence Officer. The veteran said the commemoration prior to the festive weekend is a reminder of why we honor our fallen soldiers. “We always have to keep in mind what this weekend is all about.”
