May 22, 2013 -- QUEENS, N.Y. -- The borough of Queens held a Memorial Day ceremony May 22 at the Queens Borough Hall.
The ceremony was held to remember those service members who have served.
Prior to the start of the ceremony, the many veterans in attendance took to time to mingle with each other and share experiences of their time in the armed forces.
The ceremony began once the junior reserve officer training corps honor guard from Francis Lewis High School posted the colors and the national anthem was played.
Lt. Col. Arthur J. Woods, the operations officer of the 1st Marine Corps District, spoke to guests about the importance of Memorial Day.
“Memorial Day is the time for us to remember those men and women who have served this country,” said Woods. “I am honored to be here, and I am proud to see all these veterans here. I thank all of you who have served and continue to serve to keep this nation safe.”
During the ceremony, retired Army Capt. James Van Thach spoke about his travels abroad, visiting service members in combat as well as veterans across the country.
“I felt like it is something we all have to do,” said Thach. “We must memorialize these brave men and women who sacrificed everything to make this country safe.”
According to Dwight E. Early, a retired U.S. Army chaplain in attendance, it is important that the American public never forgets what the service members have done for this great nation.
“We want to reach out and let those serving know that we support what they do and we honor those who have served,” said Early.
Terry Holliday, from the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs, also stated his feelings about being invited to be a speaker.
“If you take a look at the sacrifices that the men and women in our services have made, you will realize that without their sacrifice many of us would not be here today,” he said. “It is really an honor to be a part of this ceremony.”