NEW YORK—The sun was bright, the flags were up, and wreaths had already been laid out to honor the men and women who served and fell for their country.
For the neighborhood of Little Neck, Memorial Day is more than just a day off from work, or a day to have an all-American hot dog. This neighborhood has a big heart for their country’s servicemen.
LIVE from Douglaston . The Opening Ceremony of the Little Neck Douglaston Memorial Day Parade
Dikirim oleh BaysideLiveTV.com pada Senin, 27 Mei 2019
“Memorial Day reminds Americans that freedom is not free: it comes with a price,” Navy Lt. Father Mark C. Bristol told NTD after the parade’s morning ceremony.
“I was in tears this morning as I reflected on the shipmates that I’ve served with who are no longer here with us; but I carry on with my service because I’m upholding their honor; I’m carrying on the tradition that they taught me, and the friendships that helped turn me into the man I am today.”
Navy Strong at Lourdes #WarriorsToLourdes pic.twitter.com/BogueROWbY
— Fr. Mark Bristol (@FrBristol) May 22, 2018
Bristol was deployed to Africa in 2009 to serve in Operation Enduring Freedom that was initiated after the 9/11 attack. That year, he was recognized for his dedication by the Navy, earning the Navy Reserve’s Sailor of the Year Award in 2009.
With other honorees, he joined the laying of wreaths, followed by the hoisting of the flag at full-staff.
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Peter Cairney, a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, told NTD that he recently saw a powerful picture. On one side of the phot was a boy was given a flag at his father’s funeral. The father had been killed in the Iraq War. On the other side of the image, the same boy, now a man, honored his father at the grave.
Cairney made his point: “That’s what Memorial Day is supposed to be about.”
Like Bristol, Cairney believes that there is a price for freedom and that it must be defended. He added that it may not be a perfect country, but Americans are very fortunate to be free.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie, said in a Memorial Day message published on May 24 that over one million Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice to “serve principles greater than themselves.”
And for what is this sacrifice being made?
“That cause is the enduring principle that Freedom, is the birth-right of all men and women,” Wilkie said.
‘Star Spangled Banner’
The Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade has been held every year since 1927—”rain or shine,” according to its page.
The LittleNeck -Douglaston Memorial Day Parade
Dikirim oleh BaysideLiveTV.com pada Senin, 27 Mei 2019
This year, they celebrated the national anthem: The Star Spangled Banner.
The Star Spangled Banner was originally a poem written by Francis Scott Key who saw Fort McHenry being bombarded by the British Navy. After that, he saw the American flag emerge victorious.
Police officers, firefighters, politicians, veterans, school groups, servicemen, and many others participated in the Little Neck Memorial Day parade.