Saturday, June 21, 2025
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, when we can spend time outdoors, enjoy barbecues, and get a good deal at a Memorial Day sale. Unfortunately, too many people think that’s what Memorial Day is about, and have forgotten the true meaning of the day. Memorial Day is a solemn holiday to honor our nation’s war dead — those who sacrificed all to defend the Constitution of the United States, which provides us with the precious freedoms we enjoy.
I am deeply honored to serve as co-chair of the 2025 Glen Cove Memorial Day Parade Committee. Along with my co-chair Mike Napoli and the rest of the committee, I invite you to celebrate the true meaning of Memorial Day by attending one of our planned events in Glen Cove this holiday weekend.
The military banner unveiling will take place at Morgan Park on Sunday at 11 a.m., followed at noon by the wreath-laying ceremony, featuring a short service at each city monument, beginning with the World War II monument in Morgan Park, then the monuments at the library, on Ford Street, on Elm Avenue, at Calvary AME Cemetery and at the Church of St. Rocco.
On Monday, the Memorial Day ceremony at Monument Park begins at 11 a.m., followed by the parade at noon. The parade starts on Forest Avenue and proceeds through the downtown. I hope the streets will be lined with spectators in support of our veterans.
The parade is a longstanding event that provides an important opportunity for our community to come together to honor and recognize those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The parade and wreath-laying ceremony carry with them deep roots in the history of the city. We honor our cherished Glen Cove veterans, and members of the military everywhere, who unselfishly dedicated their lives to the greater good.
Each year, the committee selects a Glen Cover who died in combat as the parade honoree, as well as a veteran from Glen Cove as the grand marshal of the parade. This year’s grand marshal is Tony Jimenez, a dedicated public servant, a former longtime city councilman, a veteran advocate and a U.S. Army infantryman who served in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart for his service. Tony currently serves as Glen Cove’s director of veterans services, where he assists veterans and their families in navigating federal and state programs that offer vital benefits and assistance.
This year’s honoree is William “Billie” Morse. Sergeant Morse was born on Oct. 29, 1945, in Glen Cove. He was drafted into the Army through the Selective Service, and began his tour of duty in Vietnam on Sept. 24, 1967. Assigned to the 2nd Platoon, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 196th Infantry Brigade — part of the America l Division — Morse served as a light weapons infantryman. On May 2, 1968, during the intense fighting near Nhi Ha in Quang Tri Province, he was killed in action.
This engagement was part of the broader Tet II offensive, in which North Vietnamese forces launched widespread attacks across South Vietnam. The battle near Nhi Ha was crucial in halting the enemy’s advance toward key supply bases at Dong Ha and Quang Tri. The 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry played a significant role in this defense, but the cost was high: 12 soldiers from C Company, including Morse, lost their lives that day.
For his service and sacrifice, Morse was posthumously awarded several honors, including the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantryman Badge. And on Monday, we will honor him in his hometown of Glen Cove, and remember that because of brave men like Morse, who paid the ultimate price in defending democracy abroad, we get to enjoy liberty here at home.
On behalf of the entire Memorial Day Parade Committee, I hope you will find the parade, the ceremony and the wreath-laying events meaningful, and remember the souls that have given their lives for freedom and country. Freedom is not free; rather, it is something we must all fight to preserve every day to ensure that those who sacrificed life and limb for our country did not do so in vain. Never forget!
Marsha Silverman is a Glen Cove city councilwoman and a co-chair of the Memorial Day Parade Committee.
