Veterans were honored today at Veterans Day ceremonies in Riverhead and at Calverton National Cemetery.
The annual ceremony in Riverhead takes place at the World War Memorial on West Main Street. The memorial monument was erected after World War I, to honor the Riverhead men who fought in the war, including nine who sacrificed their lives.
MORE COVERAGE: Riverhead’s World War Memorial honors veterans and casualties of ‘the war to end all wars’
Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard called on residents to always remember that freedom isn’t free. The freedom and the lifestyle we enjoy today was achieved through “tremendous sacrifice of past generations of service members and their families, by current members of the armed forces and will continue with the future generations of citizens who step up to serve this nation, because freedom isn’t free,” Hubbard said.
The supervisor urged residents to speak with veterans who are willing to talk about their service, to learn about their experiences. He spoke of his father-in-law, Albert Woolley, who served in the military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Hubbard shared details of Woolley’s participation in the landing at Normandy beach, in France on June 6, 1944, which we know as D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history.
The ceremony is organized by the Riverhead Combined Veterans Committee.
At Calverton National Cemetery, the Veterans Day ceremony featured County Executive Ed Romaine as its keynote speaker and remarks by County Legislator Nick Caracappa. It also featured performances by the North Shore Community Band under the direction of James MacDougall, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret.)
The Calverton ceremony is organized by the Support Committee for the Calverton National Cemetery.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti (Riverhead ceremony) and John Neely (Calverton ceremony)
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