On Memorial Day Monday (May 26th), thousands of veterans and New York citizens gathered on the deck of the Intrepid Museum in the Upper West Side of the Hudson River to hold a solemn ceremony, honoring the American soldiers who sacrificed their lives to defend the nation. Mayor Eric Adams of New York City participated in the memorial ceremony.
Veterans tearfully shared their war stories and the sacrifices made by the members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard.
US Navy Admiral Daryl Caulde stated that the country needs the finest men and women in uniform to stand up now to defend the Constitution and American freedom, pointing out that the “world is still in turmoil and danger,” especially in Europe, and amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict that has been ongoing for over three years.
“From Lexington and Concord to Afghanistan, every patriot’s grave is the final resting place of a hero who made and fulfilled the promises of today,” Caulde said. “We need such great guardians to remain vigilant at all times, ready to defend freedom. In fact, at this moment, hundreds of thousands of troops are deployed around the world safeguarding our future, staying vigilant and ready to do what needs to be done.”
Mayor Adams praised America with a series of “Never Forget” chants, emphasizing the importance of instilling patriotism in children at schools.
“If we indoctrinate children on college campuses to hate America rather than embrace America, then we will fail at this,” he said. “Let us start by reaffirming our pledge of allegiance in schools again, not only talking about Memorial Day but also encouraging our youth to appreciate the beauty of serving in the military and law enforcement; let us proudly raise our flag again, talk about the greatness of our nation; let us reawaken our spiritual memory, so we will not forget.”
“We need to continue to let people know that this is the greatest city in the world, with the most powerful defense forces in the world,” Adams said, “No one does it better than us, and we need to make sure future generations understand that.”
During the Memorial Day ceremony on the Intrepid, veterans unfurled a giant American flag on the decommissioned aircraft carrier’s deck; people laid wreaths in tribute to the generations of American freedom fighters.