U.S. Marine Corps veteran Patrick Connolly led Tuesday’s ceremony in Coleman Square. Photo By Michael V. Cusenza
A small, yet diverse group on Veterans Day gathered at Bernard Coleman Memorial Square in Howard Beach to honor all service members; from those who fought on the beaches of Normandy, to active-duty troops tasked with stemming the tide of new threats in the Middle East.
Patrick Connolly, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2565, led the brief ceremony on a spring-like Tuesday morning in front of the hulking stone monuments that commemorate area veterans who gave their lives in defense of the country.
“The freedoms that have been given to you are defended by the men and women in our armed forces,” said Connolly, a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and Howard Beach resident. “[Their service] is really inspirational. It touches me every day.”
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), a member of the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, said that “whether they came back decades ago, or from Afghanistan or Iraq, we need to do whatever we can” to aid members of the military; adding that healthcare and employment are still major issues with which the city, state and nation are dealing.
Following the ceremony, down the block at The Rail Bar & Grill, a few vets talked over cold beverages about their service and what the annual event means to them.
“It was something I definitely wanted to do since I was a kid,” said Gaetano Lo Dico, an electrician who served in the Navy from 1988 to 1994. “It’s like nothing else.”
Army veteran Frank Reynolds said that he’d “just like to say thank you to all who are in now and anyone who ever served.”
Michael Belmonte, a retired city firefighter who served in the Air Force, echoed Reynolds’ sentiment, adding, “a big thank you, because it’s you who make this a great country—a great country with great freedoms.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
