A ceremony commemorating Veterans Day took place Friday morning at the War Memorial on West Main Street, hosted by the Riverhead Combined Veterans Committee.
Overcast skies produced a light rain as the ceremony got underway at 11 a.m. with a prayer offered by John Newman and the performance of the National Anthem by Judy Hettrick.
“After more than four years of fighting, an armistice between the allied nations and Germany went to effect at precisely 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, famously, the 11th hour of the 11th day in the 11th month,” said Riverhead VFW Post Commander Thomas Najdzion, who led today’s ceremony on behalf of the Riverhead Combined Veterans Committee. “The Treaty of Versailles signed the following June officialized peace,” he said.
“In 1919, the first anniversary of the truce, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 ‘Armistice Day’ to pay tribute to the heroism of those who died in our country’s service during the war. In 1930 Congress declared Armistice Day a national holiday,” Najdzion said, noting it retained the name, at least nationally, until 1945. We now know it as Veterans Day, he said.
Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar offered a quote from military historian John Keegan. “‘Soldiers, when committed to a task, cannot compromise. It’s unrelenting devotion to the standards of duty and courage, absolute loyalty to others, not letting the task go until it has been done,’” Aguiar read.
“To the members of the Riverhead VFW and the American Legion, who are participating in today’s event and the service, to all our soldiers across our nation and to our soldiers in Riverhead past and present, thank you for your service. Because of your unselfish service to our country, we are here today. God bless America,” Aguiar said.
Najdzion also spoke about the meaning of the holiday and the symbolism of the U.S. flag.
“We are assembled here today to pay tribute to the men and the women of the community who have served the United States Armed Forces, our neighbors, who have fought in defense of this country and preservation of a way a life,” Najdzion said. “Those men and women are worthy of far greater recognition than mere words, sacrifices they made and deeds they performed shall be written in history. And they shall remain alive in our memories for generations to come,” he said.
“The flag is a symbol of all that is sacred to us. The flag of the United States reflects what we are and what we hope to be,” Najdzion said.
“The white stripes symbolize purity of the purpose of the freedom of thought and expression, and worship. These are the privileges we guarantee to all who live in our land. They are the rights we defend against all enemies who seek to crush the way of life that you and I cherish,” Najdzion said. “We also see …the red stripes of courage or willingness to die, if necessary, for preservation of American ideals. Then there’s the blue of tranquility upon the nation, upon which the stars of our states are united to hold intact that are truly ours, the desire for peace, prosperity and happiness throughout our nation,” he said.
Members of the Riverhead VFW and American Legion posts and the post auxiliaries placed wreaths at the base of the War Memorial, a massive granite block adorned with a bronze tablet that is engraved the 304 names of Riverhead men who served their country in the Great War, which we now know as World War I.
The monument was initially erected on the northwest corner of Griffing Avenue and West Main Street, on the front lawn of the Suffolk County Historical Society. It was relocated six years later to its current site on the corner of West Main and Court streets, on a parcel donated to the historical society by Alice Perkins, where the museum was later built. It was unveiled on Memorial Day, 1920 in a ceremony attended by Col. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of the late President Theodore Roosevelt.
It is the site of semi-annual ceremonies in honor of Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
