The United Veterans of Hicksville held a meeting May 11 at the Hicksville Veterans of Foreign Wars hall. At this time, SSG Christopher Grilo of the U.S. Army, 800th Military Police of Uniondale was the special guest.
The committee is proud to announce that Captain Frederick A. Moss, also of the 800th Military Police, commander of headquarters and headquarters company will be the Memorial Day guest speaker. Commander William Walden was proud to announce the Grand Marshal for Hicksville 2010 Memorial Day Parade and Service is Catholic War Veterans Joseph Barry Post 1946 Commander Joseph Messana.
Commander Walden also announced the line of march for the Memorial Day Parade with the 800th Military Police and its Commander General John E. Cornelius leading the 1st Division of the parade.
Captain Moss, Guest Speaker
The United Veterans of Hicksville Chairman William Walden has announced that the 2010 Memorial Day guest speaker will be U.S. Army Captain Frederick Anthony Moss, commander of headquarters and headquarters company of the 800th Military Police Brigade at the Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. Army Reserve Center in Uniondale.
Captain Moss, originally from Chicago, is a patriot, leader, scholar and gentleman. He began his military career serving in the U.S. Navy in sea and shore positions deploying to Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.
After his honorable discharge from the Navy, Captain Moss attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and enlisted as a Military Police Officer and worked as a Platoon Team Leader with the Arkansas Army National Guard’s 39th Infantry Brigade. After graduation he was recommended, boarded and selected to attend Officer Candidate School.
Captain Moss holds a bachelor’s in criminal justice from the University of Arkansas and a master’s of business and organization security management from Webster University. He has completed more than 50 hours toward a Ph.D. in criminal justice from Capella University.
Captain Moss’ professional military education includes Officer Candidate School, Army Basic Airborne Course, Military Police Officer Course, Civil Affairs Officers Course, Military Police Captain Career Course and numerous anti-terror, physical security and emergency preparedness courses.
Captain Moss has held Army executive and command positions at Headquarters Cadet Command in Fort Monroe; 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg; the 535th Military Police Battalion in Raleigh, NC; the 535th Military Police Battalion Detachment 2 Operation Iraqi Freedom; Platoon Leader Headquarters, 535th Military Police Battalion; and Platoon Leader, 302nd Military Police Company, Grand Prairie, TX.
His awards and decorations include two Army Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, the Gulf War On Terror Expeditionary Medal, the Gulf War On Terror Service Medal, the Army Overseas Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, four Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, the Naval Battle “E”, Navy Unit Commendation Medal, the Basic Airborne Badge and the German Parachutist Badge.
Captain Moss comes from an all-Army family as he is married to Major Lytelia Moss. They are giving back to the Hicksville community as both have joined the William M. Gouse, Jr., Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3211. They are the proud parents of six children, Sherita, Brooke, Deloria, Blake, Frederick Jr. and Brandon.
Joseph Messana, Grand Marshal
Commander William Walden of the United Veterans of Hicksville proudly announces that Joseph Messana has been selected as Grand Marshal for the 2010 Hicksville Memorial Day Parade. Grand Marshal Messana ran the 2009 Memorial Day Parade and Service as Chairman of the United Veterans of Hicksville.
Messana is a Vietnam War veteran who served with the U.S. Army at Long Binh from 1968 to 1969. He is a charter member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, belonging to the William M. Gouse, Jr. Post #3221. Messana is also a member of the Joseph Barry Knights of Columbus, the Charles Wagner American Legion Post #421 and Nassau County Chapter #82 Vietnam Veterans of America.
Each year, Messana can be seen preparing and serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to homeless and needy veterans at the Nassau County Veterans stand-down held at the Freeport Armory. Besides his dedication to the United Veterans of Hicksville Memorial Day Committee, he can be seen doing the poppy detail each May for Catholic War Veterans. When not helping his fellow veterans and community, Messana is a dedicated family man, fisherman and coin collector. Hicksville can be very proud of Grand Marshal Joseph Messana – a patriot and veteran.
Memorial Day Schedule of Events
Saturday, May 29
William M. Gouse, Jr. Veterans of Foreign Wars members and auxiliary will place flags on the graves of deceased comrades at Plainlawn Cemetery in Hicksville. Volunteers are needed to place flags on the graves of deceased comrades at the Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale at approximately 7 a.m.
Sunday, May 30
The United Veterans Organization of Hicksville will hold a Memorial Day Service at Hicksville’s Plainlawn Cemetery ay 9 a.m. The public and all veterans are welcome to attend. Hicksville VFW Post members and auxiliary then go to the gravesite of William M. Gouse, Jr. in Westbury for a Memorial Day service. American Legion members and auxiliary will visit the gravesite of Charles Wagner, also in Westbury, for a memorial service. The UVO of Nassau County will hold a Memorial Day service at Eisenhower Park at 10 a.m. and at Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale at 2 p.m.
Monday, May 31
Assembly for the Memorial Day Parade, hosted by the William M. Gouse, Jr. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3211 with the UVO of Hicksville, will take place at 8 a.m. in the Sears parking lot. The parade will kick off at 9 a.m. and will proceed south on Broadway to Old Country Road and head west to Jerusalem Avenue before going south to 4th Street. The parade’s viewing stand will be on Jerusalem Avenue. The annual Hicksville Memorial Day service will then be held at the War Monuments located in front of Hicksville Middle School.
Following the service, a collation served by VFW Post 3211 will be held at the VFW Hall, 320 South Broadway. Priority in the serving line will be given to active duty military members and their families. For more information call Hicksville VFW at 931-7843.
Commander William Walden of the United Veterans of Hicksville welcomes the community, especially all veterans of the armed forces to attend the 2010 Hicksville Annual Memorial Day Parade and Service. Join us in welcoming home all of our veterans and honoring the memory of those who have fallen defending our nation.
