Remembering those who served in the military

Every Nov. 11, Americans honor the patriotism and sacrifices of those who have served our country, celebrating Veterans Day with a range of ceremonies, dedications and other events.

“I think it’s important that we don’t forget what people did before us,” said Pasquale Alesia, American Legion Lawrence-Cedarhurst Post 339 adjutant that handles the administrative aspects of the post. He added that “freedom is not free” and that is why Americans should take time to acknowledge what took place throughout history to help ensure the nation’s security. 

On Nov. 11 at 11 a.m., there will be a ceremony at Cedarhurst Park where Syd Mandelbaum, the commander of the American Legion Lawrence-Cedarhurst Post 339, will announce the names of two fallen post members, John McCabe and William Murphy, who died since last year’s Veterans Day event. Bricks are being made in their honor. 

Paul Glasgow, a longtime member of the American Legion who served in World War II from 1944 to 1946, said: “Our past is part of our future.” He added that the Veterans Day event is “an opportunity for the community to say thank you to us and for us to thank you to each other,” for their participation and service. 

PFC. John J. Oliveri Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1582 in Inwood hosts its ceremony at post headquarters at the intersection of Doughty Boulevard and Mott Avenue. 

At 2 p.m., there will be a Veterans Memorial Triangle Dedication Ceremony where a commemorative plaque will be unveiled at the intersection of West Broadway, Harris Avenue and Broadway in Hewlett. 

The signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, in Versailles, France, officially marked the end of World War I. Germany and the Allied nations had stopped fighting several months earlier when an armistice, or cease fire, went into effect in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month — Nov. 11, 1918. 

President Woodrow Wilson named Nov. 11 Armistice Day in 1919. “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory …” he said.

In 1938, Armistice Day became a legal holiday, primarily to honor WWI veterans. After WWII and the Korean War, the word Veterans replaced Armistice in 1954 to acknowledge American veterans of all wars.

President Eisenhower issued the first Veterans Day Proclamation in October 1954, saying, “On that day, let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.”