WWII veterans honored at Brooklyn War Memorial

Photo By 2nd Lt. Taylor Schrick | Maj. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, alongside a WWII veteran render a hand salute during the National Anthem at a ceremony at the Brooklyn War Memorial. The ceremony was held to honor the WWII veterans from all branches who are from Brooklyn, New York, during Fleet Week New York, May 24. Fleet Week has been held nearly every year since 1984, it is the city’s celebration of the sea services. It provides citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area an opportunity to meet Marines, sailors and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see the capabilities of today’s maritime services.  

BROOKLYN, NY, UNITED STATES

05.24.2015

Story by Cpl. Taylor Schrick 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Servicemembers from all branches attended a ceremony at the Brooklyn War Memorial May 24 during Fleet Week New York. The ceremony was held to honor the WWII veterans from who are from Brooklyn, New York.

Fleet Week it is the city’s celebration of the sea services and has been held nearly every year since 1984. It provides citizens of New York City and the surrounding tri-state area an opportunity to meet Marines, sailors and Coast Guardsmen, as well as see the capabilities of today’s
maritime services.

The idea to hold the ceremony and honor the veterans was that of Toba Potosky, the president of the Cadman Park Conservancy, when he saw two veterans place American Flags on the Brooklyn War Memorial every year on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

“I thought the flags that they were putting up were to show the public their patriotism, but that’s not the case,” Potosky said. “Jack and Roy Vanesco put the flags up for their 25 friends who didn’t come home and whose names are on the wall of honor, so today’s ceremony is really to honor the ones who were here and to honor the more than 11,500 people whose name are one that wall.”

The Brooklyn War Memorial has been closed to the general public for 25 years, but Potosky hopes to one day to maintain the grounds and with to get private funds to re-open the memorial with the help of the New York City Parks Department,.

They hope to restore and renovate the memorial into a veteran’s center and an education center for the community, Potosky said.

• Date Taken: 05.24.2015
• Date Posted: 05.25.2015 12:10
• Story ID: 164454
• Location: BROOKLYN, NY, US
• Hometown: BROOKLYN, NY, US