From Boulevard Gardens in Queens, the community commemorated Memorial Day, with the faithful purpose of honoring the memory of the men and women who have lost their lives, serving our country.
It was the 67th Memorial Day commemoration led and organized by the American Legion Post 1836 and attended by several families, war veterans, active members of the military and elected officials.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressed a few words to those in attendance.
“This day is very important for our families and community in New York and also in the entire country. But today especially, we have the families of the families of those who died in our thoughts and also in our hearts and prayers,” said Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
On this occasion, they honored the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the military invasion that took place during World War II on June 6, 1944, on the beaches of Normandy, occupied by Germany. On that date, 4,400 Allied troops lost their lives.
During the meeting, the importance of offering mental and physical health services as well as decent housing to war veterans was discussed.
“They deserve that New York State serves them too and that they can live independently without barriers and get the mental health care they need,” said Queens Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas,
“There are enormous sacrifices that families of all generations across the country deal with, and that’s what it means to go to war and come home. And if our families have access to the things they need to be safe and healthy, who deserves it more than the people who have gone to war in the name of our freedom,’ said Councilwoman Tiffany.
For her part, Shannara Rivera, of Puerto Rican origin, shared with us that her two grandfathers fought in the Korean War.
Shannara Rivera, a member of the community also spoke about what she feels on this day:
“I feel quite proud. You have to feel proud to be like that. If your grandfather is fighting, stop from there, for the Americans. I wanted, so that she would learn that those things too are not just Memorial Day for the barbequebut also to remember the people who fought for us,” he said.
And his daughter, 7-year-old Naiara, participated in the choir of her school PS 151 singing the famous This Land is Your Land.
Naiara Díaz, PS 151 student
“It makes me feel very proud,” she said.
-Because?
“Because I’ve been working with my music teacher and I’ve been learning the song in Spanish, and it’s quite difficult because I don’t speak much Spanish,” he says.
According to the American Legion Post 1836, Queens County has the largest number of veterans in the entire city.
And this was one of many commemorations held by New Yorkers in honor of the men and women, many of them from our Latino community, who have served and continue to serve our country.
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