Memorial Day in NYC: USS Intrepid holds annual wreath laying ceremony; See other events around city
NEW YORK -- Monday marks Memorial Day, and events across New York City will honor members of the U.S. military who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The annual Memorial Day ceremony was held at 10 a.m. onboard the USS Intrepid.
Hundreds of veterans, like Vinny Bochicchio, took the time to honor those who lost their lives protecting our nation.
"It means a lot. It means a whole lot," Bochicchio said. "I lost a lot of friends of mine in Vietnam. You've got to remember them."
The ceremony began with current service members and veterans speaking about the significance of the holiday. That was followed by the laying of four ceremonial wreaths, the playing of echo taps and a three-volley rifle salute.
"We must think of patriotism not as something that is reflected on on Memorial Day, but it must be built into the country and the fiber of our country," said Mayor Eric Adams.
CBS2's Elijah Westbrook met current and veteran service members, and couldn't help but take in the scope of what the day truly means.
"My contention is that every young person should spend some time in service to their country. Not necessarily by military, but there's other means that they would learn such respect for the country," Marine veteran Gene Austin, who served on the USS Intrepid, said.
"It means a lot to me. I've been deployed and been overseas to Iraq. You see the young men and women that serve our country every day, some of them unfortunately don't make it back. So it's very important we honor them every day," said Army Sgt. Ricardo Davidson, who served for 17 years.
"We salute you for the commitment to the security of our nation," Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum President Susan Marenoff-Zausner added.
Other holiday events taking place around town include:
- Ceremony at Soldiers and Sailors Monument Plaza at 11 a.m.
- Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade at 11 a.m.
- Ridgewood Glendale Parade at 11 a.m.
- Staten Island Memorial Day Parade at Noon
- Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade at 2 p.m.
It's a day of honoring and reflecting on the men and women who didn't make it home, as we continue to keep their memories alive today and forever.