Intimate Ceremony Honors Those Who Made Ultimate Sacrifice

Although the traditional Memorial Day parade in Garden City was cancelled this year, the American Legion was still able to hold an intimate ceremony at the war monuments on Seventh Street Monday. Legion Commander Frank Tauches read the names of the war dead, joined by Boy Scout Augustin Mingioia Murphy who played Taps. His Scoutmaster and fellow Troop 55 members were also in attendance. The Scouts created a virtual video of military music and put together packages for veterans at Northport Veterans Hospital, which were delivered immediately after the ceremony. Further, the Garden City Fire Department provided a silent drive by with lights and several Police Officers attended the ceremony to pay their respects.

Mayor Theresa Trouvé attended the ceremony, along with Trustees Colleen Foley, Mark Hyer, John Delany and Stephen Makrinos, to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice. “It is difficult to comprehend the moment when you send your loved one off to war. You watch them disappear out of sight, and you fear that it is the last time that you will see them. For those who have experienced this loss, Memorial Day becomes the opportunity to reconnect with all that person meant to you, to your country, and to come to the realization that all of our way of living has been made possible by those who were lost,” Mayor Trouvé said.

Although COVID-19 restrictions prevented this year’s ceremonies to include a grand marshal, color guards, marching bands, community organizations and local Scouting troops to march past a reviewing stand, Commander Tauches said he couldn’t let the day pass without honoring the Village’s veterans who sacrificed their lives for this nation. “This was also the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and we would have honored our Post members who served in that conflict, five of whom passed away in the last year,” he said. The Legion plans to expand the Veterans Day ceremony in November.