Sunday, November 8, 2026
The Village of Freeport will have a multi-generational celebration for Veterans Day as community leaders and members will honor two residents who are U.S. veterans. Freeport High School students will join veterans from major conflicts spanning the Vietnam War to recent years.
A major part of the Village of Freeport Veterans Day Observance will feature special tributes and recognition for U.S. Army Sgt. Major William Huntley Downes and Marie Carmel Houanche, a chaplain with William Clinton Post 342 of the Freeport American Legion. The celebration in honor of Blue Star Veterans and their families will be hosted at the Freeport Recreation Center, Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 10:30 a.m.
“We want to celebrate and acknowledge those who are keeping us free,” says David Cockerel, Post Commander and adjunct of the William Clinton Story Post 342. “We’re asking everyone to wear something blue in honor of those actively serving. It is a small way to thank them for their sacrifices for our freedom.”
Members of the Freeport High School National Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps will present the Color Guard and the Freeport High School Band will perform patriotic tunes.
As a retired U.S. Army veteran, Downes has dedicated his life to serving this country and protecting its freedoms. He was drafted in 1957 and served two years in active duty during the Cold War, working on a secret, guided-missile site in Cleveland, Ohio.
After completing his service, he remained in the military with the National Guard and Army Reserve for an additional 26 years. Also a member of Homeland Security’s Coast Guard Auxiliary, Downes' commitment to serving others didn't end there. He was an exemplary disaster communicator following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and American Flight 589. His skills as a licensed amateur radio operator provided vital lifelines when communications systems failed.
In addition to his military service, Downes taught electrical installation at George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn for 25 years.
Houanche, who was born in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, served as an assistant chaplain in the U.S. Army. She graduated Manhattan Community College with an associate’s degree, followed by a bachelor degree from Medgar Evers College. She continued her education at Downstate University with a master’s degree in health care administration.
Upon receiving a call to Christian ministry, she attended Universal Theology Seminary in Far Rockaway and was ordained as a pastor. She then obtained her doctorate.
Houanche has served in the U.S. Army as an assistant chaplain and was a commissioned officer at Fort Hamilton. She was a member of the Eighth Medical brigade, Army Nurse Corps. She was assigned to the 344th Combat Support Hospital. The unit was activated to Dessert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. She worked at Walter Reid Hospital in Washington DC. She also went to El Salvador and Haiti for a humanitarian missions.
In January 2010 she went to Haiti after the earthquake to assist with the military, and several different organizations. As a result of the devastation, she founded Houanche-Wasembeck Foundation. She has founded two orphanages, one in Port-au-Prince and the second in Ouanaminthe, Haiti.
Mayor Robert T. Kennedy, who is also a U.S. veteran, spoke highly of the two honorees and encourages all residents and supporters to attend.
“I am proud to take part in this veterans celebration and to honor Sergeant Major Downes and Dr. Houanche,” Kennedy said. “They both had extraordinary careers and have continued to serve in retirement. I hope everyone will come out to celebrate them, as well as all our veterans, active and retired. We owe them a debt of gratitude that one day a year can’t adequately re-pay.”
