The Village of Sea Cliff honored its veterans with a ceremony attended by roughly 13 veterans at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 in Clifton Park.
U.S. Army veteran and Sea Cliff resident Scott Whitting began the ceremony by reciting the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. “It's with honor for God and country and our military serving around the world in defense of liberty and freedom for all people that we stand at attention,” Whitting said before reciting the pledge.
Reverend Jesse Lebus from Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church followed Whitting, sharing a prayer with the audience of veterans, village officials and residents. “We pray for those who bear the wounds of body, mind or spirit, for those who cannot find peace, and for families who grieve loved ones lost in war,” Lebus, an honorably discharged member of the United States Navy, said.
Sea Cliff resident Cathy Virgilio sang ‘America the Beautiful’ as well. Phil Como, a Vietnam War veteran and former village trustee who is the commander of James F. Brengel American Legion Post 456 in Sea Cliff, led the ceremony.
He reflected on his early days in the village and honored Elias Rath, a World War I veteran and founding member of the local Legion post. Como recalled meeting Rath’s brother, Sam, a World War II vet and local shopkeeper, when he first arrived in Sea Cliff in 1972.
Mayor Elena Villafane spoke after Como. “Generation after generation of young men and women have put their lives on pause to step up and serve our country, to protect what we hold so dear,” she said “We gather this day to honor with our action, the service of those that heeded the call to serve our nation in its time of need. It is because of their service that we stand here today.”
While Memorial Day honors the men and women of the armed forces who lost their lives during a war, Veterans Day celebrates those who managed to make it home and serves to honor them for their service and the sacrifices they made for American freedom. Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, and was founded as a national holiday in 1919, to celebrate the service of veterans of World War I.
By 1945 World War II veterans led by Raymond Weeks asserted that the holiday should be expanded to honor the veterans of all wars. Although the first National Veterans Day would be celebrated in 1947, it did not officially replace Armistice Day as a public holiday until 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower, famous for his command of Allied forces in World War II, signed the bill into law.
