Due to the torrential rain that soaked the East Coast courtesy of Tropical Storm Bonnie in the wee early morning hours of Monday, May 30, the scheduled parades were delayed or washed out. Deciding whether or not to have the event came on the shoulders of the American Legion Post #304, which manages the event. With the significant number of people marching and many of those coming in from outside of Manhasset, the Legion decided to cancel the event for safety’s sake. Parade Chairman James Brooks was reminded of the time “over 15 years ago when the parade had to be canceled due to weather.”
The Village of Plandome, which holds its annual Memorial Day Parade earlier at 7:30 a.m., delayed the start of its parade for one hour. Chief John Furlong said, “the weather forecasted a storm cell passing overhead, so we delayed the parade for one hour.”
The skies cleared by 10 a.m., the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department decided to march anyway, giving the smattering of spectators lined up along Plandome Road—adults, children in wagons waving flags, and a small assortment of dogs—a “mini-parade” to watch. Accompanying the volunteer firefighters were fire trucks and EMS vehicles.
The Memorial Day Service and Awards Ceremony was conducted as scheduled in the Manhasset High School auditorium. After the singing of the National Anthem and the Roll Call of the Deceased Veterans of the past year, an assortment of awards were presented to students from Manhasset High School and St. Mary’s College Preparatory High School, who were honored for their academic achievements, patriotism, and commitment to service.
In his closing remarks following the presentation of the students’ awards, Commander Matthew Falcone, Manhasset Post 304, American Legion, spoke of the need to use Memorial Day as a time to “reflect” on the willingness of those in the U.S. military to pay a “high price” as participants in the many conflicts that have occurred throughout U.S. history. He said that the often asked question, “Was it worth it?” can be answered only by those who made the sacrifice. The program was concluded with Catherine Lau leading the audience in a haunting rendition of “God Bless America.”
After the program, Manhasset Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts gathered outside to place floral tributes at the newly renovated Memorial Field Veterans’ monument.
