Wappinger Town Hosts Annual Memorial Day CeremonyWappinger, NY – Today, the people of the Town of Wappinger gathered at Brexel-Schlathaus Park to pause and remember our fallen heroes at our annual Memorial Day Ceremony. Fortunately, this afternoon’s rain held off to allow Town Supervisor Joseph D. Cavaccini and the Town Board to welcome over 100 attendees to the event which featured the traditional changing of the flag ceremony by the New Hackensack Fire Company, musical accompaniment by the Hudson Valley BSA Council Band, and stories shared by Town residents and veterans. This afternoon, Town Supervisor Cavaccini said, “Let us never forget those from our own Town of Wappinger, who, generation after generation, has seen heroes emerge. Answering the call of duty to defend the principles upon which our great nation was founded – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They stood firm in the face of adversity, embodying the values of heroism, innovation, and passion that have defined this community. On this day, we pay tribute to the brave souls who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. We remember individuals such as Pvt. James J. Cruse, 1st Lt. David Wheeler, Ensign Alexander Joseph Butsko, PFC Kenneth Arthur Brown, Major Daniel Martz, and Sergeant Mark C. Palmateer; to name a few, whose lives were tragically cut short while defending our freedoms. May we never forget that these are more than just names on a streetsign or park. These individuals attended the same schools as us, walked the same roads, and were our neighbors. Let us honor the memory of these courageous men and women and reaffirm our commitment to upholding the values for which they fought and died. We must strive to be worthy of their sacrifice by cherishing the freedoms they so valiantly defended.” Senior Councilman William H. Beale stated, “We have made it a mission in our Town, our Village, and our County to recognize remember and honor those who have served this great country we owe you all a debt of sincere gratitude. The Duchess Rail Trail traverses our town in Diddell and a section of this linear Park is named the Veterans Memorial Mile, Route 9 through our town is known as the Veterans Memorial Highway, Route 9D is designated as the Hudson Valley POW-MIA Memorial Highway; and it’s on days such as this that these commemorative designations should be highlighted as we assemble as a community to reflect and remember those heroes who have gone before us. Many making the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the freedoms we so often take for granted. We are proud to recognize those that have gone before us, making the ultimate sacrifice. It is tragic when we lose these heroes, however as a Town, we will never hesitate to recognize their service.” Second Ward Councilwoman Angela Bettina noted, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. Unlike Veterans Day, a holiday to thank veterans and to pay tribute to the contributions of those who served, Memorial Day is a more somber occasion to honor those who died in the service of this nation. Rick Atkinson, the nation’s finest military historian has written of the over 291,000 American lives lost in World War II combat, ‘each death is as unique as a snowflake or a fingerprint’. The most critical lesson for every American is to understand viscerally that these heroes died for us to enjoy freedom and independence… but we do remember the price.” In case you missed today’s ceremony residents can watch it here on demand. ### |
