Notable among the crowd were about a dozen of McCarthy’s U.S. Naval Academy classmates and fellow alumni who attended the academy together from 1973 to 1977 in Annapolis, MD. Many also served with McCarthy after graduation and maintained ties throughout the years. These brothers-in-arms traveled from Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, California, Hawaii and throughout New York to pay homage to the McCarthy brothers and their family.
The ceremony began with the playing of Taps by U.S. Army Reserve retired member Thomas Dwyer. This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Thomas Vigueras, a fourth grade student at the nearby St. Bernard Academy. The “Star Spangled Banner” was sung by Abigail Pierre, student at Nazareth Regional High School. Marine Chaplain Lt. Commander Michael Johnson, from Fort Hamilton, delivered the invocation.
Principal of Nazareth Regional High School Robert DiRe said that Eugene and Dennis McCarthy were alumni and that a plaque honoring Dennis is currently at the high school until a stone is ready for it at the memorial site. He announced that the annual McCarthy brothers’ memorial run would also take place on June 6 at Marine Park.
FCA member Nancy Walby credited past FCA President Barry Smith for leading the creation of the memorial because it was important to him to honor the neighborhood’s heroes.
“This memorial is a tribute because we could never repay them. It has grown to include everyone in our armed forces who help keep us safe and preserve our freedom,” Walby said, thanking Tom Hernandez for continuing the tradition.
Elected officials and community leaders who also spoke included State Sen. Roxanne Persaud, Assemblymember Jaime Williams, Assemblymember Kalman Yeger, State Sen. Stephen Chan, District 59 Leader Frank Seddio, District 41 Leader Jennifer Faucher, Daniel Heredia representing Councilmember Farah Louis, and Community Board 18 District Manager Sue Ann Partnow.
Other notable attendees included Hon. Carmen Pacheco, supervising judge in Kings County and New York City Civil Courts; retired Councilmember Alan Maisel; and NYPD 63rd Precinct Capt. James Tomasulo; Community Affairs Detective Tricia Navarro-Caraballo; and Crime Prevention Officer Ainsley Carter.
Chan, Tomasulo and Navarro-Caraballo are veterans. Chan’s experience closely mirrored McCarthy, who was a little older than him. Chan said he realized he was following in McCarthy’s footsteps as a law enforcement agent and a U.S. Marine. “I didn’t know it then, but I was doing the exact same thing that he did,” Chan said. “I did it because I love America.”
Another speaker was Special Agent Frank Tarantino, associate chief of operations for the Northeast Region for the Drug Enforcement Administration. He thanked the attendees with a special nod to the active and retired service members who were there, especially the U.S. Naval Academy class of 1977. He also thanked law enforcement professionals, the McCarthy family, who show up each year to remember the sacrifices of their loved ones, and elected officials who were there to demonstrate strength in unity.