A stirring ceremony at Goshen memorial

By Geri Corey
GOSHEN — A large gathering assembled on a brisk Veterans Day in Goshen that sent all the flags waving just as briskly.
The annual ceremony, organized by Goshen’s VFW Post #1708 and American Legion Post #377, honored all of the men and women who have defended the nation's freedoms through service in the armed forces. It was held at the Veterans Memorial on South Church Street under clear and sunny skies.
The Goshen Color Guard marched the flags into place. Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Ray Quattrini led the presentation of colors.
Goshen’s own Mark Gargiulo delivered a strong and stirring rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.
Emcee Jim Heslop, Commander of the American Legion, expressed his gratitude.
“That’s a wonderful rendition of the national anthem," said Heslop. "It’s the way it should always be sung.”
Town of Goshen Supervisor Doug Bloomfield reflected on the day.
“We owe our veterans a lot for defending our way of life and happiness," he said. "Freedom comes at a cost. From the beginning, men and women have fought to defend us. They’ve done a great job."
A veteran himself, Bloomfield said he was proud to have served in the military.
"It’s one of the finest things I’ve done in my life," he said.
Goshen Village Mayor Kyle Roddey noted the extraordinary size of the crowd.
“This is one of the best turnouts I’ve seen," he said. "It shows the volume of community support of our veterans.”
He added: “Veterans Day is a rallying cry — make everyday Veterans Day. Our nation is judged on how we treat our veterans.”
In a stirring speech to the audience, Commander Quattrini said “enduring peace is a weary expectation that mankind is not likely to experience....There will always be devious minds of infectious greed, hatred and revenge that lead the impoverished, the destitute, the bewildered to believe that dominance brings greatness and the promise of prosperity — a perception of insanity that insures there can never be a war to end all wars.”
Young people will also be “subjected to this madness,” he said, and face a greater challenge: "to either submit to dominance or fight to protect the way of life we as Americans have chosen to lead.”
He asked parents to teach the younger generation “to be humble and sincere, change selfishness into kindness, hatred to compassion, vengeance to mercy. Teach them to be faithful in virtue and to each other.”
Quattrini called on veterans who have experienced military affairs and life’s deliberations. They “know too well that peace can never be attained by continued bloodshed, but only by the wisdom gained from the blood already shed," he said.
Veteran’s Day, first called Armistice Day, was founded on the anniversary of the end of World War I — the war to end all wars. Major hostilities formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, when the truce with Germany went into effect. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation naming Nov. 11 Armistice Day. It became Veterans Day in 1954 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Father Jeff Pomeisl, St. John the Evangelist Parochial Vicar, said, “We’re praying for family members who are in the armed forces and eternal rest for those who died in the line of duty. We ask God to continue to bless our country.”
The pastor of St. James Episcopal Church, Father Carl Lunden, delivered the benediction.
“It’s nice to remember our veterans and the sacrifices they made for our country," he said. "This is a good community event.”