Long Beach honors fallen soldiers at Memorial Day Parade

The City of Long Beach took part in honoring fallen soldiers on Monday, as veterans, community groups, residents and officials came together for the annual Memorial Day Parade. Purple Heart recipients served as grand marshals as the VFW Post 1384 and American Legion joined forces to help lead the march from Ohio Avenue to West Beech Street.

Long Beach was declared a Purple Heart city during a ceremony on May 22, and with recipients of the honors slated to lead the parade, forecasted rain was not going to get in the way, said City Council President Len Torres.

“We’ve joined the ranks of a few other cities throughout the United States honoring our vets that have been injured and we’ve become an official Purple Heart city,” said Torres, whose son-in-law, Randy Rivera, is in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. “We were so happy to be able to be a part of that so we wouldn’t miss that and no rain would have stopped us.”

Though parades around Long Island were canceled due to the weather, Long Beach’s ceremony proceeded without rain, as Torres’ boots and raincoat proved moot. But even with the threat of a storm beforehand, the city was ready to honor the relentless service of those in the military no matter what the forecast called for, according to Sgt. Ali Bardeguez, who served five years of active duty in the Marine Corps, and currently serves in the reserve force.

“Dan MacPhee actually said the most amazing thing I’ve ever come out of his mouth,” Bardeguez said of the VFW Post 1384’s commander. “He said, ‘We march today, because if they can sacrifice their lives for us, we can march in the parade for them.’ It’s true; instead of thinking about what we’re going to do, think about what they did.”

Bardeguez founded Sisters in Arms, which focuses on helping women veterans reclaim their pride by celebrating their service in the military. The group has hosted a weekend retreat for female veterans the last three years, which involves yoga on the beach, a barbecue and other activities designed to bring together and empower women who have served. She said the city made it a point during the parade to talk about not only the fallen men, but also the women who gave their lives while serving their country.

Aside from the VFW and the American Legion, the City Council, as well as members from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, Exempt Firemen’s Benevolent Association and the Nassau County Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 17 were among those who marched.

“The city of Long Beach is undeniably one of the most patriotic cities in Long Island,” Bardeguez said. “What we’re there to honor is the fallen and they don’t feel the soil beneath their feet anymore but they’re protecting us from above.”