'Come out and show respect'

The Franklin Square Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2718 is holding a ceremony at Rath Park on Veterans Day, Thu., Nov. 11, to honor U.S. veterans.
“Come out and show respect,” said VFW Post 2718 Commander John Conway, urging members of the community to attend the ceremony, which he said has received low turnout in recent years.
“They did a lot for our country,” said Franklin Square Civic Association Treasurer Frank Culmone, who added that both his father and father-in-law fought in World War Two, in France and Africa and Italy, respectively.
“Our veterans need recognition because they put their lives on hold and on the line for us and country,” Culmone said. “It’s important to take time to remember them.”

The hour-long ceremony will be held near the Rath Park gazebo and September 11 monument at 11:11 a.m., the time when the peace treaty signed between the Allies of World War One and Germany went into effect.

“WWII veterans, often called the Greatest Generation, were everyday men and women who put aside families, schooling and jobs to answer the call of duty,” said Robert Salant of Franklin Square, a media relations representative for Honor Flight Long Island, a nonprofit organization that serves Long Island veterans.

“Of the 16 million Americans that served in WWII, only about 250,000 are still alive. That number declines with each passing day,” Salant added. “It’s more important than ever to preserve this history and tell their story to a new generation of Americans.”