VIDEO: Updated Memorials Unveiled and a Call to Tell Stories @ Veterans Day Ceremony in Rye
The updated veteran memorial plaques were unveiled on Monday at the local Rye Veterans Day ceremony on the village green in front of Rye City Hall. The updates represent a multi year effort by the City and American Legion Post 128 to add 126 names to the veterans monuments at City Hall, including a new plaque naming 50 Rye Veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, Global War on Terror and the Cold War.
The event featured multiple speakers including keynote speaker will be Rye High School ’11 graduate and Army Captain Leo Matthews whose name is inscribed on the new Afghanistan-Iraq plaque. Matthews told the story of a 2019 intense gun battle in Afghanistan that involved (in part) an on battlefield direct blood transfusion to save a critically wounded officer. [You can listen to his remarks in the video playlist below.]
“On Veterans Day, we often talk about service, sacrifice, honor and courage,” said Matthews in his talk to those assembled on the village green. “These words are familiar and perhaps even overused. They sometimes lose their weight. Today, I tell you this story to give those words meaning again. Many Americans did not have a close connection to the military, and they have only a partial image of what the military service entails. Despite over two decades of continuous war, most people learn about the military from Hollywood and video games. That’s why it’s essential for veterans to share their stories, offering glimpses into both the chaotic, confusing reality of combat and the often surprisingly ordinary day to day experiences of service members.”
Other speakers included Westchester County Executive and Congressman elect George Latimer and American Legion Post 128 Finance Officer and Adjutant Tim Moynihan who made remarks at the unveiling of the memorial plaques.
See our prior reporting: Veterans Day ’24: RHS ’11 Speaker & 126 Names Added to Vet Memorials and be sure to read our interview series Rye Vets and our Honoring Service series.
Watch this video series of the 2024 Veterans Day remarks:
