American Legion Post 304, Manhasset, marched up Plandome Road on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. to commemorate those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America and to pay tribute to the men and women in the armed forces. The march stopped at Mary Jane Davies Green Park where the flag was raised from half-staff and a wreath was placed in front of the memorial.
“You don’t have to live in a military town to know veterans,” said American Legion Post 304 Commander Peter Killian. “Veterans are everywhere, sometimes proudly wearing a service cap or military T-shirt, other times blending into the background. By virtue of your attendance here, you likely have an appreciation for veterans. The people here are veterans, friends of veterans, family of veterans, coworkers of veterans and neighbors of veterans. It is up to us to ensure that every veteran feels that his or her service to the country is appreciated by their fellow Americans. There are many tangible ways to acknowledge their sacrifice, but the easiest way is to simply say ‘thank you for what you have done for our country.’”
Local Manhasset High School students played “Taps” and Christopher and Catherine Lau sang “The Star Spangled Banner” followed by “God Bless America.” Killian concluded the ceremony by thanking all of those in attendance and inviting attendees back to the post for refreshments.
“A lot of things come first to our veterans,” said Killian. “Country first, mission first, comrades first. That’s what veterans do. They put others first. Today is Veteran’s Day. It is a day we put veterans first and putting veterans first also means support and care for their families.”
