Riverhead paid tribute to its military veterans Nov. 11 with prayers, a gun salute and the laying of wreaths at the World War Memorial on West Main Street.
Riverhead VFW Post 2476 Commander Thomas Najdzion, who led the Veterans Day ceremony, gave a brief history of the holiday, which was first observed as Armistice Day, commemorating the signing of the peace agreement that ended the Great War on Nov. 11, 1918. The name if the holiday was officially changed to Veterans Day in 1954.|
Najdzion spoke of neighbors who left their schools, shops and farms to serve in the armed forces, and the community’s responsibility to remember their service.
“The sacrifice they made and the deeds they performed shall be written in history, and shall remain alive in our memories for generations to come,” Najdzion said.
His remarks centered on the American flag and the ideals it represents. He described its white stripes as symbols of freedom of thought, expression and worship, its red stripes as symbols of courage and sacrifice, and its blue field as a reflection of the nation’s desire for peace.
Najdzion remembered those who never returned home, whose resting places lie in foreign lands and waters around the world.
“They are the true guardians of freedom, peace, justice, and equality among men,” he said.
Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin thanked veterans for defending the freedoms Americans enjoy and for preserving the memories of fellow service members who died.
“We owe you a lifetime of gratitude,” Halpin said.
“You brought their stories. You brought their legacy, and you teach the next generation to stand and to defend this great country and our town and the freedoms that we have,” he said.
Halpin urged veterans to leave the ceremony knowing they are loved and cared for by their community.
Pastor George Dupree of Living Water Church in Aquebogue offered prayers.
Assembly Member Jodi Giglio and Riverhead Council members Ken Rothwell, Denise Merrifield and Joann Waski attended the ceremony.
The observance included a gun salute and wreath-laying at the monument, which stands outside the Suffolk County Historical Society Museum at the corner of West Main and Court streets.
The granite memorial bears a bronze tablet inscribed with the names of 304 Riverhead men who served during World War I, nine of whom died. Unveiled on Memorial Day in 1920 at the corner of Griffing Avenue and West Main Street, it was moved to its present location in 1926.
A gas-powered eternal flame was added in 2001, donated and installed by Frederick Cowan and Company, a manufacturer of industrial burner equipment located on Kroemer Avenue in Riverhead. The company engineered the equipment that keeps the eternal flame burning and performs regular maintenance.
Read more about the history of the monument:
Riverhead’s World War Memorial honors veterans and casualties of ‘the war to end all wars’
Peter Blasl contributed reporting.
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