On Monday, May 29, The Allied Veterans Memorial Committee of Ridgewood and Glendale hosted a memorial service with remarks along a march that followed west along Myrtle Avenue to the Ridgewood Veterans Triangle.
Some elected officials who joined included state Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Councilwoman Joann Ariola.
All spoke of ways we can best honor those who have served.
“One of the ways that we can best honor their memories is to make sure that we as local elected officials are putting our money where our mouth is,” Meng said. “It’s not about marching and taking pictures, it’s about making sure that our budgets reflect our moral compass when we say that every day is in honor of our veterans.”
Addabbo said more needs to be done to help veterans with mental illness and homelessness.
“The best way to honor those who have passed, those who have served, those who are no longer with us, is to help those still with us today,” Addabbo said.
Ariola mentioned the importance of continuing these Memorial Day traditions for generations to come.
“We cannot let our children go without knowing how we got here. We cannot let them go and become adults without having them carry on the very tradition that has brought us here for 85 years,” Ariola said.
Additional reporting by Paul Frangipane.
