The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 5253 in Albertson held a total of three short ceremonies to commemorate Memorial Day, which began bright and early at 9 a.m. from the VFW hall on Monday, May 27.
Veterans from Post 5253, along with the Albertson Fire Company, a number of local officials and residents attended the first ceremony, which honored veterans who fought and lost their lives for our country. The ceremony thanked many of the local people of Albertson for dedicating their lives to service through the volunteer fire department, which serves Albertson, Roslyn Heights and Searingtown. The veterans also stressed the message to the younger people in the crowd to keep the meaning and memory of Memorial Day alive.
The ceremony also mentioned a special tribute to 99-year-old Tony Catalano, an Army sergeant from Mineola who fought during the cold temperatures for more than 80 days during the Battle of the Bulge. Catalano was honored at the Nassau County Courthouse last week ahead of the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
After the ceremony at the VFW hall, the community was invited to the gazebo on Willis Avenue and IU Willets Road, where a special memorial is erected in memory of members from the Albertson community who lost their lives in World War II. Wreaths were placed on the lawn near the memorial and a salute was given as the bugle was played.
After the ceremony concluded, the fire department marched down IU Willets Road with the veterans and police following to the last ceremony, which took place at the Albertson Fire Company just down the blocks from the gazebo. The last ceremony concluded with refreshments for the community members.
