By Tim Sullivan
The phrase “Never forget” should not be taken lightly. I often hear it used as a motivational charge to action, but then the next news cycle soon grabs our attention and the charge we took up was left behind for the history books.
As we celebrated Veterans Day, we didn’t take “Never forget” for granted, because we don’t forget our veterans here in our village. We are proud of our active American Legion post, its members’ notable contributions to our community and the community’s collaboration with and support of them. Our annual Veterans Day ceremony is always well attended, and our annual Memorial Day Parade is typically filled with plenty of traditional community charm and tributes to those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
When we celebrated Malverne’s centennial, our Veterans Banner Project took center stage, and continues to be an annual celebration of those who served and those who are actively serving our country. We plant trees in their honor, we dedicate benches to their sacrifice, and we have many other memorials that act as lasting reminders of what it means to sacrifice oneself for others.
It was brought to my attention recently by a village resident that a home that had been fenced off for demolition contained a memorial bench in honor of a young man who lost his life in World War II. Army Pvt. Alfred Van Wagner was killed in action on March 2, 1945. The residents of Malverne Park gave his family a beautiful stone bench as a personal memorial for their brave son, whose remains are buried across the world in a cemetery in Luxembourg.
As with the home, it was revealed to us that the bench was due to be discarded. Even though the Van Wagner home was across the street from our municipal border, we felt that the preservation of this soldier’s sacrifice transcended our otherwise traditional obligations and authority.
Preserving our history and paying tribute to those who gave their all is the hallmark of who we are. So we assembled a team of volunteers from the village, our Department of Public Works and a local contracting company to work with American Legion Post 44 to find a new resting place for this important memorial. We rescued it from ruin, and it will be placed in a location where we can properly pay homage to Van Wagner’s sacrifice and to all those who have sacrificed before, alongside and after him. We will not forget.
Walking down Hempstead Avenue in Malverne between Memorial Day and Veterans Day is an educational opportunity to learn more about others like Van Wagner.
Not everyone featured on our banners has perished in their service to our country, but all have served unselfishly, and often continue to serve following their careers in the military. Beyond the battlefield, many fill visible roles in the American Legion or VFW, or more subtle ones, such as in service to God in one of our houses of worship. You may know them as leaders in one of our civic groups, organizing community activities and, sometimes, active in political office. They are woven into the fabric of our community, and along with their predecessors, are examples of our commitment to being there for one another.
It is imperative that we are now there for them. A recent achievement, in which Nassau County deeded a dilapidated old motel in Island Park to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, to be redeveloped into a village for veterans, is the definition of good government at work. I couldn’t be more excited about this development, or prouder of our other partners in government for the foresight and dedication to this project. It will provide not only good, clean, safe and affordable housing to these deserving people, but also services that cater to their well-being, right here in Nassau County. This is exactly how we should remember our veterans — through action and accommodation for the immeasurable sacrifices they have made for us.
Bold, bright and lasting initiatives, both big and small, have been made in our community so that the men and women who have served in our military will never be forgotten. We truly will never forget.
Tim Sullivan is the mayor of Malverne.
