Long Islanders flock to parades, ceremonies as Memorial Day marks unofficial start to summer

Jose Medina and his wife, Anna Frias Medina, arrived at Calverton National Cemetery on Monday to visit the grave of his brother-in-law, Manford Wild, a Vietnam veteran.

It’s an annual rite for the Far Rockaway couple, both Army veterans who came to the United States five decades ago from the Dominican Republic.

"We learned to appreciate our country more," and politics plays no role, Anna Frias Medina said of her military service, which included a deployment in Iraq. Jose Medina, who served three years, added pride in service transcends politics and  "any individual serves his country."

The Medinas were among the many Long Islanders who attended community parades or solemn ceremonies and visited military gravesites on Memorial Day to honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Others marked the unofficial start of summer soaking up sunshine under cloudy skies at the beach or at backyard barbecues.

The Memorial Day holiday stems from the Civil War, the deadliest war in the nation’s history, in which more than 600,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were killed.

'He loved his uniform'

Gerry Croce, of Islip Terrace, arrived at the cemetery to not only honor his father, Eugene Croce, who served in the Korean War, but also his mother, Catherine, whom he described as a "strong woman from Queens," who raised four children largely on her own after her husband died.

Honoring the lives of loved ones, Croce said, provides "comfort" and "gives me a good feeling."

Meanwhile, Stephanie Hester and her daughter, Cassandra Hester, of Bay Shore, were there to honor Carter Hester Jr., who enlisted in the Navy at age 16, was pulled from service by his mother because he was underage and then enlisted again in the Army the day he was eligible. Carter Hester Jr., Stephanie's late husband and Cassandra's father, served two tours in the Korean War.

Cassandra Hester recalled her dad as "militant" but also a man who "loved his children."

"He loved being in the service," Stephanie Hester said. "He loved his uniform. He would stand so proud."

But Carter Hester Jr. had "sad moments too" from his time in the war, Stephanie Hester said. "He used to have nightmares."

A short distance away, Rob and Cheryl Davis, of Oakdale, stood at the grave of his grandfather, Charles M. Davis, a World War II vet. In addition, Rob Davis' late father served in the Korean War and is also buried at Calverton.

"They were everything to me," Rob Davis said of his father and grandfather.

Honoring them, Cheryl Davis said, is itself an honor.

"When you see the true meaning of what it is, that’s when it actually hits you, what they did for us," she said.

Rosetta Bongiorno, 82, came to Calverton with her daughter, Ann Lopiccolo, to honor the memory of Joseph Bongiorno.

The pair have been coming to Calverton since the cemetery's earliest days, to honor a man who served his country during the Korean War while stationed with the Air Force in Portugal.

Joseph Bongiorno was the love of Rosetta’s life — they met in Italy and made their home in Ridgewood, Queens. But Joseph Bongiorno, a taxi driver, died at 46, leaving his wife to raise four children.

"It was very hard," said Rosetta Bongiorno, who never remarried and visits his grave once or twice a year.

Lopiccolo, who used to help her father with bookkeeping and went on to become an accountant, added her father was "very sweet; family oriented."

'It brings everyone together'

Farther south in Freeport, residents lined up their folding chairs along West Merrick Road for a prime view of one of Long Island’s oldest and largest Memorial Day parades.

They waved flags and applauded for Korean War veterans, who were driven along the parade route in cars, along with large contingents of police officers, firefighters, community leaders and elected officials who walked in front of their vehicles.

Samarah Rodriguez, a sixth grader at Atkinson Intermediate School, played the clarinet with her band while her parents and aunt watched proudly.

"It was exciting," said Samarah, a parade veteran at the age of 11. "I’ve done a bunch of parades."

Her mother, Maryneilly Rodriguez Dipolito, said coming to the parade is a family tradition they've enjoyed for years.

"It brings everyone together," she said. " It’s nice to see our old classmates and the people we grew up with and teachers and community."

During a brief but solemn ceremony after the parade, Eric Young, commander of American Legion Post 342, placed wreaths at the war memorial outside the Freeport Post Office. The memorial includes the names of 127 Freeport service members who died for their country.

"We do this to remember those who have served; those who have passed serving and to keep hope alive for all those still held as prisoners," Young, 76, an Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War, said after the ceremony.

Memorial Day, Young said, is a time for people to put aside their differences and focus on common goals.

"We had Republicans marching with Democrats, talking to each other," Young said. "So, there’s hope."

The parade’s grand marshal was 91-year-old Army veteran Sgt. Maj. William Huntley Downes, who was drafted in 1957. After two years of active duty while working on a secret guarded missile site in Ohio, Downes served another 26 years in the National Guard and Army Reserve.

The Roosevelt resident also spent 25 years teaching electrical installation at George Westinghouse High School in Brooklyn.

"My father's memory isn't as good as it used to be, and I know he's really happy to be recognized and honored today," his daughter, Robin Downes, said. "I remember all the stories that he would tell me about his military experience. It’s so wonderful for me to refresh my father's memories of his military experience on Memorial Day."