Memorial Day 2012 Ceremony and Holiday Picnic Bring Attention and Honor to Soldiers Who Gave Life to Protect Freedom

US Soldiers honored by Catholic War Veterans Post No 1 and American Legion Post 145 on Memorial Day at Veteran Memorial in Astoria Park.   Tony Meloni, New York Anti Crime, and, Candidate for NYC Council holds two commemorative stones to be placed at nearby Veteran's garden at Astoria Park Memorial       Full video coverage and follow up Q&A are available in the left column in 4 segments of approximately three to five minutes each. memorial_day_astoria_park_2102_20120528 memorial_day_2012_astoria_park_20120528_2 memorial_day_2012_tony_meloni_20120528 memorial_day_astoria_park_brother_ted_20120528

Long Island City, NY May 28, 2012 - The Catholic Veterans Post No 1 and the American Legion Post 145, with some help from Tony Meloni, New York Anti Crime and candidate for NYC City Council, honored US Veterans on May 28th at the Veterans Memorial located at Astoria Park along Hallets Cove between the Triborough and Hellgate Bridges. Commemorative stones were added to a nearby Veterans Garden. OurLIC was at the ceremony and provides full video coverage with this article, including interviews with Tony Meloni.... and 'Brother Ted', Minister of Iglesia NI Cristo Church on 21st Street in Long Island City. The local Christian Church, which had its origin with World War I on the Philippine Islands, serves as a reminder that supreme sacrifice of life by US soldiers has always been for the purpose of freedom...our own origins of democracy having roots in a battle for religous freedom and freedom of speach. The Iglesia ni Christo, or Church of Christ, was started in the Philippines and has 3,500 congregations in100 Countries and territories. Its Filipino congregation worships at a church that was originally built by Grace Methododist Episcopal Church in 1900. The significant, and relevant connection between Memorial Day Ceremony at one end of Astoria Park and the Iglesia ni Christo Church at the other end is that the Philippine Island were a critical battle ground during with Japan during World War II. [ Philippine Islands 7 December 1941-10 May 1942 ] The Long Island Memorial itself was erected to commemorate World War I soldiers who gave their live.   Long Island War Memorial The architectural firm of Ruehl and Warren designed this classical memorial in Astoria Park. The monument consists of a 20-foot wide and 10-foot high base of granite quarried in Concord, Massachusetts. Into this pedestal is inscribed a dedicatory message to those Long Island residents who gave their lives in defense of their country in World War I. World War I (1914-1918) began after the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914. War ensued, pitting France, Great Britain, and Russia against Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. The United States initially declared its neutrality, but this changed when Germany announced in February 1917 that it would no longer respect the neutrality of the seas, instructing U-boat commanders to attack any Allied vessel. President Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) protested this action and within three weeks the U.S. formally declared war on Germany and its allies. The sheer numbers of fresh U.S. troops finally tipped the balance of favor toward the Allied forces, and the long stalemate was broken. German forces collapsed under the weight of war and of political revolt in their home country, and sought out an end to the conflict. An armistice was signed on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. The most striking feature of World War I was the unprecedented human devastation it caused. It is estimated that of the 61.5 million soldiers who fought in the war, from the European trenches to the Far East, 8.5 million were killed, 7 million were permanently injured or maimed, and an additional 12.5 million suffered recoverable injuries. Because of its late entry into the war the United States suffered among the fewest losses, at approximately 116,000. Memorial ceremonies in honor of the war dead were held throughout the participating countries on the first anniversary of the war’s end, November 11, 1919. President Wilson proclaimed this day "Armistice Day." Following the lead of France and Great Britain, the United States laid an unknown soldier to rest in Washington, D.C. on November 11, 1921. In the following years, 27 states adopted laws declaring November 11 a legal holiday, and the day was officially named "Armistice Day" on June 4, 1926. Following the United States’ encounters with warfare in World War II (1939-1945) and Korea (1950-1953), on June 1, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) signed a bill renaming Armistice Day "Veterans Day." Local citizens from the Long Island City Committee commissioned the piece, which was erected and dedicated in 1926. A central section of the monument includes an upright granite extension known as a stele, into which is carved a classically-styled female victory figure. She holds in her right hand a sword and in her left a laurel, the symbols of war and peace. Gaetano Cecere (1894-1985) carved this figure and the ornamental embellishment to the monument.     US Soldiers honored by Catholic War Veterans Post No 1 and American Legion Post 145 on Memorial Day at Veteran Memorial in Astoria Park. Tony Meloni, New York Anti Crime, and, Candidate for NYC Council holds two commemorative stones to be placed at nearby Veteran's garden at Astoria Park Memorial Ray Powers, American Legion post 145 (L) David Crum Catholic War Veterans (R) Tony Meloni, New York Anti Crime and Candidate for NYC City Council. Russ Krizek, American Legion Post 145 Linda and George Perno. Linda’s father’s name was Crpl. Salvatore Vinci. He served in the Army. A stone will be placed in the Veteran's Garden for him. Stone Commemorating Crpl. Salvatore Vinci. He served in the Army. Linda and George Perno receive the stone during the Memorial Day 2012 Ceremony.

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