Under gray skies and steady rain, Morgan Memorial Park became a place of remembrance and gratitude on Sunday as the Glen Cove Salutes Military Tribute Banner Program unveiled dozens of banners honoring local veterans and active-duty service members during its fifth annual ceremony.
The event, co-sponsored by the Tribute and Honor Foundation and James E. Donahue VFW Post 347, brought together veterans, families, elected officials and community members over Memorial Day weekend to celebrate the sacrifices and legacies of those who served the country.
This year’s ceremony also highlighted the city’s younger generation, with Glen Cove High School senior Michael Renga announced as the winner of the annual “Echoes of Freedom” essay contest.
In his essay, Renga reflected on the ideals of the nation’s founding and the responsibility carried by American citizens and veterans alike.
“We often take that word — citizen — for granted,” Renga wrote. “Take a moment and think about the radical weight of it. It means that power does not flow down from a throne; it rises up from the hands of ordinary people, like you and me.”
Renga also wrote about the sacrifices made by veterans and the ongoing effort to preserve American ideals.
“When a soldier stands at a post, they are not just defending a map or a border,” he wrote. “They are standing guard over the intangible belief that a people can — and should — govern themselves.”
Lydia Wen Rodgers, a board member of the Tribute and Honor Foundation and organizer of the banner program, said the project was created to put faces to the names of local veterans.
“Our city has always honored its veterans through memorials and plaques, but this project added something deeply meaningful — it brought the faces of our veterans to the forefront,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers reflected on beginning the program alongside the late Tony Jimenez five years ago, noting that the photographs displayed throughout the park show veterans at different moments in their lives and military service.
“These banners allow us to see the individual behind the uniform,” she said. “They humanize military service, reminding us that these were not just service members — they were neighbors, friends, classmates, and family.”
Howard Stillwagon, commander of VFW Post 347 and a Vietnam veteran, thanked attendees for supporting the veterans honored throughout the park.
“It’s such a great honor to be a part of this program,” Stillwagon said. “I thank you all from my heart, recognizing us as veterans.”
Tribute and Honor Foundation President Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews spoke about his own family’s military background and the broader impact veterans have on communities across the nation.
“The men and women who went to war to fight for us and to fight for Glen Cove, fought for our entire nation,” Stevenson-Mathews said.
Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck said many of the names and faces displayed throughout Morgan Park were personally meaningful to her.
“They’re my friend’s fathers, my father’s friends,” Panzenbeck said, adding that she continues to sponsor banners honoring veterans Dan Daly and Ralph Young because “they are real true heroes.”
The military tribute banners will remain displayed throughout the summer at Morgan Memorial Park as a continuing reminder of Glen Cove’s veterans and their service.
