Memorial Day is a national day of remembrance of those who gave their lives in service to the country. For Valley Streamers, it’s also a day to honor the local heroes who never made it home. A ceremony is planned for Monday, at 11 a.m., at the village’s Veterans Memorial, at the corner of Hicks Street and Valley Stream Boulevard.
This year’s event was organized by the village, American Legion Post 854 and VFW Post 1790. Like last year, the gathering will take the place of Valley Stream’s annual parade, due to Covid-19 precautions.
The honoree and grand marshal of the ceremony is Chief Naval Aircrewman William G. Hartig, a lifelong Valley Stream resident who has served in the Navy for 28 years. He joined in 1991 as a reservist, and has been deployed overseas a number of times. He currently serves as the senior enlisted leader of the Volunteer Training Unit at the Navy Operational Support Center in Farmingdale. Hartig will speak at the ceremony about the history and the significance of Memorial Day.
“It’s an honor to be selected to talk . . . about the history of Memorial Day and what it’s really for,” he said, noting the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day. “It’s a day of remembrance for people who have given their lives in service to their country.”
The names of the Valley Stream residents who fought and died in combat, which are engraved on the memorial, will be read aloud. Honor guards from the American Legion and VFW will also take part, leading the Pledge of Allegiance and a salute to the fallen. In addition, members of the New York Naval Cadet Corps will play the “Armed Forces Medley,” and American Legion Post 854 will play taps.
“The village of Valley Stream, from World War I up to the last war, lost a number of residents,” said George Schuchman, a past commander of American Legion Post 854 who served in the U.S. Navy, adding that even though Memorial Day is a nationwide day of remembrance, Valley Streamers should also remember those from the village who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
“You never want to forget about the soldiers, especially [those] who lived in Valley Stream,” said Kevin Hill, commander of VFW Post 1790 and a 30-year combat service veteran who served in the Navy. “Even going through the pandemic, we still never forget our comrades who went out there and laid their lives on the line so we could have this freedom that we have today. . . . Some gave some . . . a lot of them, they gave all. That’s why we remember them on Memorial Day.”
