FDNY Ceremonial Unit leads in the Legionnaires of Post 1836 inside the hall to start the ceremony.
On Monday, May 25th at 10 a.m., American Legion Post 1836 – Boulevard Gardens (Woodside) hosted the annual Memorial Day ceremony. Even though the event was indoors due to inclement weather, there was standing room only. Boulevard Gardens (BG) is a sprawling co-op community with over 900 apartments nestled in the confines of Woodside and Post 1836 has held a ceremony every year since they received their charter in 1956. This year marks the 69th annual ceremony.
The FDNY Ceremonial Unit honor guard led the Legionnaires inside the hall where the ceremony was scheduled to take place. After the posting of the colors, Milena Bucich returned this year to sing the National Anthem a cappella. Milena brought a beautiful sense of reverence and honor to the ceremony. Father John O’Neil, a BG resident from Corpus Christi Church, later delivered the opening prayer.
Post Commander Alan Feuer, who has served as Commander since the passing of their former Commander, James Lanza, in 2017, opened the ceremony with his remarks stating: “We center our thoughts on those who did not come home – the fallen who forever remain young in memory, their dreams held in the careful hands for those who remember them. Memorial Day is a bridge between the lives they lived & the future we must shape. It calls us to remember, yes, but also to act in ways worthy of their sacrifice. It means understanding that the flag we raise today is more than fabric; it is a reflection of thousands of lives offered so it might fly freely. And it means taking time – real time – to remember not only with the wreaths we lay or the tunes we play, but in the choices we make each day.”
Post Commander Feuer and some Legionnaires pose for a picture with the local elected officials in attendance. Brian Romero who is running for Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas’s seat is also in the picture. NYS Senator Gianaris holding the Legislative Award he received during the ceremony.
Commander Feuer later introduced the first of the several local elected officials in attendance to make remarks. The first one introduced was Jeffrey Montoya, a congressional aide to U.S. Congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. During Mr. Montoya’s remarks, he presented a personal letter from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Commander Feuer for distinguished service as Post Commander from 2017-2026. Mr. Montoya was followed by New York Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Michael Gianaris. NYS Assembly members Steve Ragas and Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas were next to make remarks and were followed by NYC Comptroller Mark Levine.
All honored elected officials in attendance made brief mention about their family members who served our country with distinction while discussing the ultimate sacrifice many made during our country’s history.
During the ceremony, Commander Feuer praised NYS Senate Deputy Majority Leader, NYS Senator Michael Gianaris for his 25 years of public service helping veterans. Commander Feuer stated that “during his tenure in the NYS Assembly and the NYS Senate, Senator Gianaris was one of the leading sponsors of several bills that helped veterans which later became law. Commander Feuer later awarded Senator Gianaris with the prestigious National American Legion Legislative Award for his 25 years of public service from 2001-2026. While serving in Albany, Senator Gianaris helped to advance a bill to ensure the proper burial of unclaimed veterans, advocated and co-sponsored a bill to increase tax exemptions for disabled veterans, and also honored local heroes through the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame. In addition, Senator Gianaris also focused on transit improvement, consumer protection, criminal justice reform, and the environment.
Prior to presentation to NYS Senator Gianaris, Melissa Sklarz, Democratic district leader, was introduced to make remarks about Memorial Day while praising the contributions of Senator Gianaris. The most important part of Sklarz’s remarks was the inclusion of how Memorial Day came about. “Memorial Day originated after the Civil War as Decoration Day, a time for communities to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with spring flowers. Formerly enslaved people and missionaries in Charleston, South Carolina, gathered to honor and properly rebury Union prisoners of war in marked graves.”
Post Adjutant Robert McCarthy later read the names of those residents killed in action during World War II and Vietnam. McCarthy also read the names of Post 1836’s Legionnaires who passed since the receipt of its charter in the late 1950’s. Mr. McCarthy read well over 300 names. A member of the FDNY Ceremonial Unit played taps while the Legionnaires saluted.
Prior to the ceremony, several members of the Post laid donated wreaths under the main archway at Boulevard Gardens. The wreaths were donated by the Boulevard Gardens Owners Corporation, American Legion Post 1836, and the delegation of local elected officials represented by NYS Senate Majority Leader, State Senator Michael Gianaris.
Before closing of the ceremony, Boulevard Gardens resident Keny Aarons played an acoustic guitar and sang a great copy of “A Time of Your Life” by Green Day and another cover from Louis Armstrong, “What A Wonderful World” that was enjoyed by all. The ceremony ended with the singing of God Bless America by Milena Bucich and recitation of the closing prayer by Father John O’Neil.