After almost a week of chilly, rainy weather, the skies cleared just in time for Rye’s annual Memorial Day Parade.
Hundreds of residents — including Girl Scouts, young families, and older veterans in uniform — lined Purchase Street, waving and cheering. Small children on their dads’ shoulders waved flags as a fleet of Rye fire trucks, sirens blaring, slowly passed.
The parade began at the train station and ended in front of City Hall at the Village Green. A group from the Rye Boxing Club wore matching sweatshirts and held a banner announcing their group. Members from the Rye Garnets baseball team, fresh off of winning the league championship, stood in pick-up trucks decked out with American flags and bunting.
The Rye Garnet Cheerleading team packed into an open jeep. Girl Scouts in their green uniforms skipped through town.
At the Village Green, the ceremony commenced near the memorial honoring those who died and those who served in Iraq, Vietnam, and Korea.
Robin Latimer sang the National Anthem and her husband, U.S. Rep. George Latimer, addressed the crowd, encouraging the audience to always honor those who have sacrificed their lives for America. “Those of us who do not make that sacrifice, have a responsibility,” Latimer said.
N.Y. State Sen. Shelley Mayer and N.Y. State Assemblyman Steve Otis thanked the veterans present at the ceremony for their service. Mayer acknowledged the children present, encouraging them to continue Rye’s tradition. “I want to make sure that this ceremony continues 10 or 20 years from now,” Mayer said.
Mayor Josh Cohn spoke, as did several students. James LaBerteaux, a middle school student at Resurrection School, recited the Gettysburg Address. Rye High School Senior Tadhg O’Brien, who began with scouts when he was in first grade, was recognized for his community service with the Eagle Scout Award.
“I’m honored to be awarded and recognized on such an important day,” O’Brien said.
Also recognized was RHS junior Mark Pellegrini, whose Boy Scout service project was planting flags on the graves of every veteran buried at Greenwood Union Cemetery.
This year’s Americanism Award went to Bob Fox, a long-time community member, Little League and Rye Boxing Club coach, and Church of the Resurrection usher.
The John M. Kingery Memorial Day Essay Contest, which includes a $1,000 prize, went to Charlotte Brown, a RHS freshman. She wrote about living on Grapal Street for the last 10 years and learning about former residents of her small street who were killed in combat, and how she has been touched by their bravery.
Terry McCartney, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, recited The Roll of Honor, naming each of the 80 soldiers from Rye who died in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and Korea. “It tears at your heartstrings when you have to say how young they were,” McCartney said. “It is the highest honor for me in our little town to get to say those names and spread awareness.”
Robin Latimer closed the ceremony with a rendition of God Bless America followed by taps, played by RHS Junior Michael Talbott.
