By JUDY RATTNER
Among those who attended were Mayor Mary Bossart, trustees Chuck Joyce, Andrew Karamouzis, Dave Krasula and Jeanne Mulry, Village Administrator Frank Quigley, Parks and Recreation Director Tony Brunetta and Nassau County Legislator Joseph Scannell. The ceremony was led by Joseph Scarola, adjutant of American Legion Post #303, standing in for Cmdr. Gus Lanzo, who was recuperating at home after a stay in the hospital.
"We are here to remember," said the Rev. Harald Kuehne, pastor emeritus of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and a veteran. "We think of the multitudes who have died for the sake of justice and liberty. Remember Pearl Harbor and the wars that followed ... let all who died for our country know we are on their side. Give us courage. Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light."
Kuehne described Dec. 7, 1941, as a "watershed event," a day that separated all that came before from events that followed. It began the era when the U.S. accepted the burdens and responsibilities of world leadership and illustrated the importance of always being prepared.
Many younger citizens, Kuehne added, do not remember the Pearl Harbor attack, but they lived through Sept. 11, 2001, when another attack on the nation served as a stark reminder that we all too often forget the lessons of history. Remembering Pearl Harbor creates a bond with that day, he said. "It is our duty to remind young Americans of the terrible price we paid for our lack of military preparedness," said Kuehne.
Echoing the theme of duty and sacrifice, Bossart added that along with remembering, the significance of the day is to be inspired by those who did good and to continue to do good.
Reflecting on the 2,335 military personnel and 85 civilians who died in the Japanese attack on the United States military base at Pearl Harbor, Scannell said, "Freedom is not free, it has a definite high price." He urged everyone to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that freedom can reign.
The speeches were followed by the tossing of a wreath into Mill River by World War II veteran Lester Wilensky, with Mayor Bossart by his side. "We also remember and honor those who sacrificed their lives in World War II," Scarola said, "and in all our country's wars." A single toll of a bell concluded the ceremony.
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