Letters to the Rockville Centre Herald Sept. 13, 2012

No disrespect uncovered

To the Editor:

  In a letter “We can do better” (Aug. 23-29), the writer complained about how the Village of Rockville Centre and the police and mayor’s office showed little respect and failed to provide any information on the funeral arrangements for Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley USMC, who was killed in Afghanistan in August.

 Anybody who knows me would know that if there was any disrespect or act of intentional mishandling of any serviceman’s or veteran’s funeral, you would have heard about it from me, and rather loudly at that.

  I have looked into the letter’s allegations, and I’ve determined that there was no neglect on the part of anyone regarding that funeral or the arrangements for it. The honors afforded the young hero were conducted in the most correct and precise manner that one would expect from the United States Marine Corps. The thousands of mourning friends, neighbors, dignitaries, church officials, the staff of the Vanella Funeral Home in Oceanside and members of the Oceanside and Rockville Centre fire departments all provided the family of the fallen warrior with the support, love and respect due them from a grateful community that encompassed the entire Long Island area.

  I did find that there was some degree of confusion that arose when some people were under the impression that church services might be held in St. Anthony’s in Oceanside and were expecting that the funeral procession would go from there to the Pinelawn National Cemetery for interment. Since the Buckley family is from Oceanside, the Police Department and mayor’s office in Rockville Centre knew little about the intended itinerary. Nonetheless, the street in front of St. Agnes Cathedral was adorned with red, white and blue and the motorcycle escort of veterans lined the street with American flags as the hearse and family arrived for the Mass and then escorted the funeral cortege to Pinelawn.

  If it is any consolation to Greg’s family, I, and many other veterans, agree that our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have more than achieved the intended mission in the Middle East. There is no reason other than political maneuvering for them to spend any more time there than is necessary. Load up all our men, equipment and money on planes back to the USA, the sooner the better! We need not repeat another sad farewell to another young serviceman. Our American blood is much too valuable to be wasted on political incompetents trying to play generals. It has never worked, and never will.

Mickey Clark

Past commander, American Legion Post 303

Rockville Centre