A group of veterans and their families were honored at an annual Veterans Day Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 14, at Queens Borough Hall’s Helen Marshall Cultural Center.
The service members and their loved ones were treated to a buffet of food and free jacket giveaways sponsored by Doherty Enterprises and Maspeth Federal Savings Bank. The Bartlett Contemporaries played live music throughout the evening.
The program began with the presentation of colors by Aviation High School’s Airforce JROTC chapter, followed by the pledge of allegiance and a performance of the Star-Spangled Banner by Miss New York 2024 Abigail Quammen.
Following the performances, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards thanked the veterans for their service. He highlighted how veterans uphold the Constitution and protect personal freedoms that many Americans may take for granted. “ I often say that freedom is not free. There is someone who paid for us to be here on a day like this. I want to thank each of you today because we take it for granted in this country. Look at what is happening around the world,” he said, referring to global conflicts such as the war in Ukraine as well as Israel and Palestine.
Richards briefly touched on the recent presidential election, saying that the voting process highlights how veterans have fought to uphold democracy and freedom of speech in America.
“You fought for this freedom no matter which way you look at it. You enable us to celebrate and uphold the democracy of this country. The people have spoken, and the people can speak freely in this country because of the sacrifices you made and those who went on to pay the ultimate sacrifice,” Richards said.
Richards also spoke on his commitment to supporting the nearly 50,000 veterans living in Queens.
He said he is committed to preventing veteran homelessness by working on housing initiatives and sharing plans to build veterans’ housing on an underutilized part of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center campus. “It is not going to be 100 % veterans, but we plan on ensuring that a substantial amount of units are there for veterans in Queens County,” he said. Richards added that he is committed to allocating capital funding for VFW and Legion Posts.
Following Richard’s remarks, James Hendon, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services, emphasized the importance of veterans utilizing services after they retire from the armed forces. “It seems like it is even harder to get our brothers and sisters to self-identify as far as getting folks to tell people they serve once they finish,” he said. Hendon shared that in New York City, only %24.1 of veterans self-identify.
Hendon said many factors are in play as to why so many veterans choose not to self-identify.
“Some people walk away from it angry…for others, it is the height of humility…and then you have folks who feel I’m not a veteran because I was a reservist, I’m not a veteran I didn’t go to combat,” Hedon said. He added that some veterans are concerned that they will be stigmatized if they reveal they served in the armed forces. “If I tell you I served, then you’re going to automatically think all kinds of things about me. People try to cover the minority aspect of their identity to fit in… on the flip side, for all those who want to try, all they have to go off of is what they saw on the TV, the movies, or a news report,” he said.
Hendon emphasized that veterans should not be afraid to share their military service, which could help demystify the military to others. He encouraged the veterans attending Thursday’s event to connect other veterans to his office’s available services. “ We just want to say we love them and to give them their benefits. Wherever you are, ask folks if they or a family member have served,” he said.
The event closed with a presentation of citations to five stand-out veterans:
Thomas Carty is a US Army veteran who served 6 years on active duty assigned to the 3rd U.S. infantry at Fort Myer, Virginia. After leaving active duty in 1996, Carty moved to Queens and served for 3 years in the U.S. Army National Guard. Carty has worked for NYC Public Schools for 26 years and is currently in his 11th year as principal of PS. IS 49 in Middle Village.
Chief Petty Officer Bernard B. Chong is a Springfield Gardens resident who enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1974. He served 20 years on active duty and an additional 10 years in reserve. After leaving the Navy, Chong worked as a tower operator, train operator, and train service supervisor for NYC Transit for 25 years. Chong is also a proud member of the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame.
Mercedes Elias is a Marine veteran who completed a combat tour in Afghanistan from 2011-2012 and retired with an officer rank. Elias went on to earn her M.B.A. at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She recently served as the co-CEO of Amerivets Securities, where she was the first woman veteran to serve as the CEO of a service-disabled veteran-owned broker-dealer on Wall Street. Elias is also the current chair of the New York City Veterans Advisory Board.
Ryan Graham, an Airforce veteran of the Iraq war, enlisted in the military after the 9/11 terror attacks. Graham’s military service spanned 6 years and included a deployment to Iraq. Graham has been active in the Queens Veterans community, serving as the chair of the legislative committee for District 1 VFW, vice chairman of legislative affairs of the Department of New York VFW, and the commander of Flanders Field VFW Post 150 in Corona.
Wing “Sammy” Har joined the U.S. Army National Guard in 1997. Har and fellow members of the 169th Infantry Regiment supported 9/11 recovery efforts and were later deployed to Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Har was also deployed to Afghanistan in 2008, where he earned a bronze star for valor. Currently, Har is currently a detective with the NYPD’s Queens Robbery Squad.
