Honoring a fallen hero in Lynbrook

The Color Guard

Mary Malloy/Herald

Joshua Wiener followed in his brother’s footsteps when he joined the Marines.

Mary Malloy/Herald

Hundreds came out in almost 100-degree temperatures to honor one of their own.

Mary Malloy/Herald

Wiener’s family, friends and public officials unveiled the commemorative plaque that will hang in the post office.

Courtesy George McClosky/Perfect Photo

Wiener’s widow, Maria, at the open prayers with her daughters Theadora, 8, and Mikayla, 12.

Mary Malloy/Herald

The Lynbrook post office was officially renamed in honor of Lynbrook resident Jeffrey L. Wiener, who died in Iraq in 2005.

Mary Malloy/Herald

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Shortly before noon on July 22 — amid record-breaking temperatures — hundreds of residents, Fire Department members, local and state officials as well as veterans and active members of the military assembled outside the Lynbrook post office to pay tribute to a local hero. The post office was officially renamed in honor of Navy Corpsman Jeffrey L. Wiener, a Lynbrook Marine who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005.

“Long before he was one of the nation’s heroes, he was just one of my heroes,” said Marine Gunnery Sgt. Joshua Wiener, Jeffrey’s younger brother. “Since I was a little kid, I wanted to be just like him. The very reason I wear this uniform today is in no small part due to the values that he instilled in me. Because of all of you here, Jeff’s sacrifice was not in vain. And because of all of you here, he will not be forgotten.”
Joshua is one of Jeff’s five siblings. Their brother, David, is also in the military.

U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who each introduced and passed legislation to rename the post office, spoke to the crowd from Washington through amplified mobile phones. “Jeffrey Wiener was an American hero, and by renaming the Lynbrook post office after him we honor his courage and dedication,” said Schumer. “It is a truly fitting tribute to a man who gave his life for his country.”
“We couldn’t be more grateful for the brave and selfless Jeffrey Wiener, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,” McCarthy said. “This post office renaming will ensure that Lynbrook residents for generations to come will be reminded of Jeffrey’s courage and love for his country.”

Wiener joined the Lynbrook Fire Department in 1987, at age 14, as a junior firefighter. The Lynbrook High School graduate rose to the rank of captain in 2000, when became a Nassau County emergency medical technician. After serving as a captain of Tally-Ho Engine 3 as well as an EMT for the Fire Department and the Nassau County Police Department, he became a Navy corpsman in 2003.