KATONAH – Westchester County marked Memorial Day with a special ceremony at Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial in Katonah on Friday, May 26.
“Memorial Day has its own specialty to it. Because everyone who has put on the uniform of this country has made a sacrifice,” said County Executive George Latimer. “Anyone who has gone through 13 weeks of basic training — I don’t care if you were peeling potatoes in the kitchen during your time in the military, if you went through 13 weeks of basic training, you make a sacrifice for your country…. But today is that special step beyond that, where we are saying that we are recognizing those who not just made a tremendous sacrifice for the nation but made the ultimate sacrifice.”
“The defining moments of our history came during periods of great conflict when American sons and daughters answered the call to fight for freedom and democracy,” said County Veterans Services Agency Director Ron Tocci. “These individuals — our friends, neighbors, and relatives — actually changed the course of world history. It is imperative that we reflect on the service and the sacrifice of these people. They were ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things out of a sense of duty, honor and patriotism. Their compelling experiences ought to be an inspiration and example for all Americans.”
