As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary this summer, the city of Rye marked Memorial Day by honoring those who died serving the country.
“Our country was not built simply on an idea, it was earned on the backs of the men and women who served and continue to serve in the United States Military,” said Joshua Gaccione, director of the Westchester County Veterans Service Agency, who gave the keynote address. “In the footsteps of President Lincoln, it is important to give honor and dignity to those who died in noble causes bigger than themselves.”
He praised Rye’s great history of serving veterans and their families and noted that community events around this holiday are deeply important for reflection, respect, and service.
The annual ceremony, hosted by the Rye American Legion Post Auxiliary, was moved from the Village Green to inside the Rye Fire Department due to rainy weather, which also resulted in the cancellation of the annual parade. Attendees included Rye’s Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Legionnaires, veterans, local government officials, and many more.
At the ceremony, Rye resident Laura Pellegrini received the Americanism Award. Pellegrini has supported relief efforts following the California wildfires and Hurricane Ida while also working to address childhood poverty in Africa and Haiti and inequality in Westchester County.
Pellegrini also reflected on the importance of recognizing service in younger generations. During the recent senior awards night at Rye High School, the students going into military service received a standing ovation.
“We’re not in any kind of peace right now,” Pellegrini said. “And they still signed up. You’re putting yourself in harm’s way for the good of the country. So, I think it’s important.”
N.Y. State Senator Shelley Mayer emphasized the importance of Memorial Day for younger generations.
“I fear that our young people do not know and have not experienced the personal loss and sacrifice that we honor today,” Mayer said. “We need to do a better job of teaching, sharing, and personalizing the stories of those whose memories we honor, so that we keep this very important tradition meaningful to all – especially those who have not felt it in their own experiences.”
Rye High School junior Elle Talbott, winner of the John M. Kingery Memorial Essay Contest, read her entry.
“My dad was deployed to Iraq when I was little, and then again, years later, to Korea,” Talbott said. “I was lucky enough he made it home. I don’t take that lightly because I know what it means to be one of the families who does get that hug at the airport, who gets the seat filled at the table again. Memorial Day reminds me that not everyone gets that ending. Some families are left with folded flags instead of returned embraces.”
A Rye native, veteran Howard Heyel served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, spending more than two years aboard the USS Rushmore. He attended the ceremony and said it was important to him to be there “in honor of those who are no longer with us.”
