By Paul J. Condra
As reports of the jet crash sent tense chills down the spine of a nation still reeling from terrorist attacks two months earlier that have launched the United States into an overseas war, veterans came together to laugh, shake hands, share stories and bow their heads in tribute to those who served their country in the armed forces.
Among those present were members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1073 and the American Legion Post 44, both of Malverne.
Vito Ilardi, 82, a chaplain of the VFW was playing his old war hymns over the speakers set up at the gazebo as the veterans were arriving around 11 a.m.
[The crash] is a shame, he said. I was just trying to get my stuff together here when my daughter called and wanted to know if I had the radio on, he said. Ilardi said he hoped the tragedy wouldn't put too much of a damper on the day's proceedings.
Indeed, on a beautiful clear fall day, the crash cast a grim shadow over the memorial event, recalling the horrors of the last two months. It was the first day that actually felt as if winter was near; the burnt-red leaves limping on the trees above the gazebo whispered to the ground.
By Wednesday morning, investigators still hadn't determined what caused the crash of Flight 587, bound from New York to Santo Domingo. According to the data recorders, or black boxes, the plane started breaking apart minutes after take-off as pilots apparently lost control when they heard a rattling sound. All 260 people on board the flight and five people on the ground were killed in the accident.
On Monday, Veterans reiterated there was no indication the crash was an act of terrorism and echoed the sentiments of investigators who stressed calm as the causes of the crash are uncovered.
Still, the strange occurrence almost exactly two months after the initial terrorist attacks heightened tensions.
I wondered if they did [an attack] on Veterans Day, if they meant to, said Frank Zabetta of the VFW. But, he said, there's still no proof of what actually brought the plane down. Others mentioned the disturbing fact that stowed baggage isn't checked on passenger flights.
But before the dozens of veterans could get too far off track mingling about the small park, chatting away, Zabetta got busy organizing them into a group at the side of the gazebo to listen to the brief presentations by Malverne village officials, post commanders and songs by junior Girl Scouts Troop 2233 from the Davison Avenue School.
To begin the ceremony, a police siren was sounded for about 30 seconds, followed by the girl scouts singing the Star-Spangled Banner.
Then the veterans
