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Long Beach Veterans Day ceremony filled with remembrance
The Joint Veterans Organization held a special observance ceremony to pay tribute to service men and women on Veterans Day, where local veterans, officials and others publicly thanked those who bravely served — and continue to serve — their country.
Veterans and their families gathered at Kennedy Plaza on Tuesday morning for a ceremony to honor the courageous men and women who have fought for their country — and those who remain in service.
Howard Kalachman, commander of the Joint Veterans Organization of Long Beach — which consists of the American Legion, the AMVETS and the Veterans of Foreign Wars — led the Veterans Day ceremony.
Local officials, like City Councilman Anthony Eramo, County Legislator Denise Ford and Assemblyman-elect Todd Kaminsky, among others, spoke to a crowd of about 150 people, honoring veterans and calling attention to the meaning of the day. Local clergy also gave blessings. The ceremony concluded with the traditional raising of the flag at 11 a.m. to commemorate World War I, said Dan MacPhee, commander of the Long Beach VFW Post 1384.
“It’s important to remember and honor the sacrifices that they made and are still making in their lives after they’ve returned,” MacPhee said. “Nobody comes back the way they went in, particular in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We have about 40 members of our post from that era, and I’m going to say 15 of them don’t have jobs. They’re coming into an economy that they’ve never experienced before — a lot of them joined the military right out of high school. And many of them are still experiencing the after-effects of combat.”
MacPhee, who served in Vietnam, said that his grandson, Zachary, thanked him for his service that day, and with four World War II veterans sitting in the crowd, he encouraged kids and residents at the ceremony to thank the men.
After the ceremony, Lola’s Kitchen & Wine Bar showed its gratitude to veterans and active duty military personnel by offering a complimentary meal to thank them for their service.
