BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Brig. Gen. Michael Deegan, U.S. Army Reserve advisor to the Judge Advocate General, led the 159th Annual Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade May 25 as co-grand marshal with https://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/about/staff-leadership/.
Deegan marched along Brooklyn’s 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge, honoring fallen military comrades in the borough-wide parade sponsored by the United Military Veterans of Kings County.
“It is fitting to hold this observance in Brooklyn, a borough so intricately tied to our nation’s defense,” Deegan said. “From the sacrifice of the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776, to the industrial might of the Brooklyn Navy Yard that sustained our Navy for over 150 years, to the continued presence of Fort Hamilton since 1825, the history of Brooklyn is intricately linked to our nation’s defense.”
Following the parade, a memorial service took place in John Paul Jones Park, which included the playing of bag pipes, the raising of the nation’s flag, a wreath-laying by veteran service organizations, a 21-gun salute fired with Howitzer cannons by the Veterans Corps, and the playing of ‘Taps.’
“When our nation called, Brooklyn always answered. They came from every neighborhood, they represented every culture, all having a common oath to support and defend our Constitution,” explained Deegan. “They were individuals who left their homes, left their families and, ultimately, their futures behind. They served in the muddy trenches of Europe, the islands of the Pacific, the mountains of Korea, and even today in the deserts of the Middle East.”
Memorial Day Parade was founded in 1867, when Brooklyn was an independent city and the third largest in the nation. It was originally organized by Brooklyn veterans from the Grand Army of the Republic. It is considered to be the oldest continuously run Memorial Day Parade in a large city in the nation.
“There were thousands of Brooklynites who did not return. Some rest in hallowed ground overseas, some are closer to home. All share a common legacy - they traded their tomorrow so that we could have our today,” said Deegan.
When the last Civil War veteran from the GAR died, the annual Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade continued under the auspices of the United Military Veterans of Kings County. It is always a solemn occasion to remember America’s fallen military heroes.
“It is a day for us to honor the military men and women who gave their lives in defense of our nation during peacetime and war,” Deegan said. “From the Revolutionary War to present-day missions, our service members have consistently demonstrated their resolve to defend our freedom at home and abroad.”