VIDEO & PHOTOS: Rain Fails to Dampen Rye’s Memorial Day Ceremony
Morning rain caused a cancellation of the annual Memorial Day parade and the accompanying ceremony to move to city council chambers inside City Hall. Despite the cloudy skies, the community gathered and bonded over a list of 81 fallen veterans from Rye. Patriotism and honor rose above all with council chambers overflowing into the lobby of City Hall. The ceremony included several impressive speakers, award winners, and patriotic songs.
Commander Frederick de Barros moderated the event, which featured greetings from Rye Mayor Josh Cohn, Westchester County Executive and NY-16 Democratic Congressional candidate George Latimer, New York State Senator Shelley Mayer, and State Assemblyman Steve Otis. “We’re here to honor our friends, relatives, and neighbors who died in our military service, who have given everything for us,” Cohn said to the crowd.
Rye resident and US Navy veteran Patrick Murphy delivered the principal address and spoke about what Memorial Day means to him and how his time in the Navy was a “transformative experience that forever shaped my experience on honor, courage and commitment”.
Henry Paul and Michael Talbott from Rye High School participated in the ceremony: Paul rehearsed the Gettysburg Address, and Talbot concluded the event with a performance of Taps on the trumpet. Christ’s Church Choir sang the national anthem at the beginning of the ceremony, and Robin Latimer later recited God Bless America. Both times, the crowd of families, friends, residents, and veterans joined in song, adding to the patriotic feel within the walls of City Hall.
George Latimer won the Americanism Award, while Ferdinand Coughlin, Logan Jancski, and Matthew Pellegrini from Boy Scout Rye’s Troop 2 all claimed an Eagle Scout Award. Rye student Madeline Kilroy won the John M. Kingery Memorial Essay Contest, earning a $1,000 prize for her piece on the personal importance of Memorial Day for her and her family. When she finished, the crowd roared with approval, and she received many compliments on her way off the stage.
Others to grace the podium included Father Daniel O’Reilly, Tim Moynihan, and Terry McCartney. Rye Sons of American Legions provided and presented the Colors for the entire event. McCartney remarked that he thought the entire ceremony and its speakers were the best he had ever witnessed.
A video playlist of the event follows:
