Residents gathered on the Jamesport village green Friday morning to celebrate Independence Day with prayer, music and speeches honoring America’s founding and its promise as a free nation.
The annual event, hosted by the Greater Jamesport Civic Association featured a selection of patriotic music by the Meeting House Chorus under the direction of Marguerite Volants.
Pastor George Dupree of Living Water Full Gospel Church gave the invocation, praying for unity in our country at a time of great division. He quoted President Abraham Lincoln: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently, half slave, half free. I do not expect the union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing.”
Those words were taken from the Bible, Dupree said. “Jesus said, ‘If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand, and if a house is divided against itself, it will not be able to stand.’ It’s so very important that we understand that it’s our responsibilities as citizens to do all we can do to preserve unity that we would be United States of America.”
Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard hailed the individualism that he said is reflected in the American spirit of independence “and the spirit of independence that has shaped our town since its founding in 1792.”
Riverhead has always been a place where people from diverse backgrounds have come together, Hubbard said. As we are blessed to gather here in Jamesport, we celebrate not only the birth of our great nation, but the spirit of independence that has shaped our town since its founding in 1792.
From our earliest days to modern times, Riverhead has been a place where people from diverse backgrounds have come together “with each resident contributing to the vibrant tapestry that makes our community unique,” Hubbard said.
“Independence Day reminds us of the courage of our founding fathers, who risked everything for liberty and justice. Their legacy lives on in our commitment to freedom and democratic ideals, in our respect for one another and in our willingness to work together for the common good,” he said.
“America is exceptional because it is the most open, tolerant, multi-ethnic, multi-racial country in the history of the world,” Hubbard said. “Here in Riverhead, we definitely embody those ideals with a diverse yet united citizenry, whether it’s through our downtown where history and progress walk hand in hand as we continue our economic revitalization, or through our proud agricultural heritage, we prove every day that unity and hard work can overcome challenges and adversity,” the supervisor said.
Hubbard called on all to “honor the sacrifices of those who came before us by renewing our own pledge to freedom, liberty, equality and community.”
“Let us remember what unites us— our hopes, our dreams, our love of this beautiful town,” he said. “I wish each and every Riverhead resident a Happy Independence Day. Let us always be grateful that we are all Americans as we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding next year. May we continue to stand together proud and free. May God bless Riverhead and may God bless the United States in America.”
“American democracy” is “an idea rooted in the belief that people have the right to govern themselves, speak freely and live with dignity,” Assembly Member Jodi Giglio said. “That belief took shape in 1776 and it didn’t come easily. It took generations of sacrifice, service and persistence to bring it to life, and it will take generations more to keep it alive,” she said.
“What we celebrate today is not just the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but everything that came after it, the hard work, the responsibility and the countless acts of courage from our armed service members who have defended and expanded the freedoms we often take for granted. Today, we honor the bravery it took to found this nation and the dedication it has taken to sustain it,” Giglio said.
Riverhead Town Historian Georgette Case reviewed the history of the local area during the time of the Revolutionary War.
The event included remarks from representatives of three branches of the armed services: the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
U.S. Army Sgt. First Class (ret.) Thomas Najdzion of Riverhead, spoke of his 23 years in the service, including his deployment to Iraq. Najdzion, who is the Commander of the Riverhead VFW Post 2476, is also the president of the Riverhead Polish Independent Club. He spoke of the support Polish military members have given the United States, including Gen. Kazimierz Pulaski who became General Washington’s right hand man in the Revolutionary War, Najdzion, and Gen.Thaddeus Kosciuszko, who fought in the Revolutionary War.
U.S. Navy veteran Lt. Gregory Blass of Jamesport, who served on active duty as a surface line officer and then in the U.S. Naval Judge Advocate General Corps, recounted the early history of the Navy, which he said began with “six frigates” that Congress “reluctantly and barely” funded, creating America’s First Fleet. People in high places almost prevented it, Blass said.
“Thomas Jefferson himself fought hard and led the debate against the creation of the Navy owing to the young nation’s very heavy debt from the recent American Revolution,” Blass said. Eventually the six ships were built — “made of solid American oak, each 152 feet long, equipped with 44 guns and young, brave and daring crews,” Blass said. “And when they set sail, they began our Navy’s awesome journey through history with amazing and yes, sometimes actually miraculous victories in the cause of freedom,” he said.
The Navy will celebrate its 250th birthday on Oct. 13.
“Today’s Navy has a fleet of 478 combat vessels, conventional and nuclear powered, and a vigilant and protective cyber command,” Blass said. “We have 336,000 active duty personnel in the Navy. We have almost 102,000 ready reservists and over 4,000 combat aircraft. Each Navy fleet command — and there are now seven of them, stateside and worldwide — consists of battleships, aircraft carriers, destroyers and subs and other ship types. It has been the most powerful navy the world has ever seen. Its work with our valiant sister services keeps America alert and ready. And it all started with six frigates,” Blass said.
U.S. Marine Corps Captain Devin Lides noted that the celebration of the birth of America includes remembering “the men and women who stood ground over her through every chapter of her history — and for the last 250 years, Marines have been a constant presence in that fight.”
The Marine Corps was established by the Continental Congress on Nov. 10, 1775, Lides said. “As soldiers of the sea. Marines have been in the thick of it ever since, fighting for our nation’s freedom, defending it with honor and standing ready to go anytime, any place, against anyone,” Lides said.
“Long Island holds a special place in Marine Corps history. In 1776 just weeks after America declared its independence, Marines joined the continental forces right here in New York to fight for liberty. The presence in the New York campaign marked the beginning of a proud tradition, Marines fighting alongside fellow patriots to defend the ideals of a free nation,” Lides said. “Every Marine who raised their right hand helped safeguard America’s freedom. Generation after generation, that’s what we celebrate on the Fourth of July, not just independence declared, but independence defended. Today, we remain forward, deployed, ever ready, serving the nation in the air, on land and sea, protecting this great nation and its interests across the globe.”
The Marine Corps isn’t the biggest branch. We don’t always get the flashiest gear. We don’t have the biggest budgets, but we never needed those things to get the job done. What we have is grit, discipline and each other. Words like honor, courage and commitment,” Lides said. “That’s what makes the Marine Corps great, not just our legacy, but the Marines who carry it forward every single day — a corps that has been there from the beginning, fighting for freedom, upholding the Constitution and setting the standard of excellence in every clime and place…Happy Independence Day and Semper Fidelis.”
Independence Day Committee Chairperson John Newman of Jamesport served as master of ceremonies.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by Denise Civiletti
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