It was a beautiful day on the village green in the City of Rye for Veterans Day 2026 on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
American Legion Post 128 Commander Fred de Barros lead the ceremony and speakers included Mayor Josh Nathan, State Assemblyman Steve Otis and State Senator Shelley Mayer. The principal speaker was Rye resident Christian Wade, a West Point graduate and US Army veteran who served in Iraq.
“In combat, as you as you see and as you hear, any individual differences in background, in politics or upbringing, they completely disappear,” said Wade to those assembled on the green. “What matters is character, courage, competence, and whether you can count on the person next to you when things will inevitably go sideways on an operation or a mission. I wish we could have a little bit more of that perspective when we come home, because the bonds that unite us as Americans should be much stronger than anything that divides us.”
See our Honoring Service series with stories of Rye veterans.
Watch Wade’s speech (12 minutes):
