Under blue, sunny skies, a small crowd of veterans and residents gathered in front of Riverhead’s war memorial on West Main Street to pay their respects for Veterans Day.
Councilman John Dunleavy, a Navy veteran who served as a plane captain from 1958 to 1962, spoke about the sacrifices the nation’s veterans have made to protect the country’s freedoms.
“There are those that believe freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of choice should be taken away,” Dunleavy said. “We must stand up for our beliefs and fight for those rights. It’s what it means to be an American.”
Looking back on his own service in the United States Navy, Dunleavy said that he was “lucky to survive.”
“The veterans we see here today are all the lucky ones,” he said. “I have lost good friends who served side by side with me.”
He reminded the crowd that for most veterans, their sacrifices do not end when they leave the battlefield. “Veterans bring back not only memories of war, but physical and mental limitations,” he said. “On this day we must remember and thank those that served to protect us and our way of life.”
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Peter Blasl
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