Dae Vitale
Greetings from River City. All of us who are grateful for the remembrance of those whose lives were sacrificed for our freedoms, thank Regina Angelo for her very many years of dedication to keeping the Memorial Day celebration of the day from fading. Thanks, also to Reginas’s loyal friends, Brian Denniston, Ann Kuzmik and Mary Keller (who formed the Memorial Day Committee), whose dedication to honoring the day and the City of Newburgh’s participation in it, includes their honoring Regina’s dedication. Thank you, each of you, and all the participants and viewers who keep the spirit of the day so that we remember it all year-long, too.
Thank you to all the sacrificed and to all their loved ones.
The annual Memorial Day Parade is set for Monday, May 27 at 10 a.m. Line-up for the parade will be at 9:15 a.m. on Richman Avenue. There will be services held at Washington’s Headquarters immediately after the parade, beginning at approximately 11:15 a.m. All are invited to attend and honor our deceased veterans.
Memorial Day observances include a flag distribution at the Activity Center, 401 Washington Street, on Saturday, May 25 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Visits to local cemeteries to pay honor to our veterans will be led by an honor guard on May 26. The motorcade will depart from the former American Legion Hall, 62 Grand Street, at 8:30 a.m. and visit all area cemeteries to place wreaths and flags.
The Memorial Day observances concludes on May 27 with the reading of the names of all deceased veterans since World War I at the Orange County Veterans Memorial, at the intersection of Liberty Street and Leroy Place, at 3 p.m. Family members who would like to read the names of their veterans are most welcome to do so.
This year’s Grand Marshal of the City of Newburgh Memorial Day Parade is George Kohler, 100, a World War II veteran. Mr. Kohler graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1942 and was drafted shortly after.
From January, 1943-December 1945 he served in the Third Army division, 550 Battalion under General George Patton in the Anti-aircraft machine gun unit. He was in the second wave of the Normandy invasion in 1944. He was decorated with the World War II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and the European-African-Middle Eastern theater (EAME) medal.
After the war, Mr. Kohler earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Syracuse University. He went on to become an insurance adjuster. In the 1960s he purchased Parrott Dock Builders at 26 Front St., Newburgh. He sold that location in the 1990’s, bought an office building on North Plank Road, and finally retired from the dock building business at the “tender age” of 98 after being in business for around 60 years.
George married his wife Josephine (Dolly) in 1952. The couple have been married for 72 years. And, last June, George was honored by his beloved New York Mets as “Veteran of the Game.”
The City of Newburgh is also grateful to Elyse Goldberg, Historic Site Manager, and staff of Washington’s Headquarters for their longtime support of the Memorial Day Parade and services.
Special thanks go to former Mayor Nick Valentine and Sue Valentine for their portrayal of George and Martha Washington, Councilwoman Patty Sofokles for singing The Star Spangled Banner, and to former Councilwoman and City Special Events Coordinator Regina Angelo, who made decades of Memorial Day observances possible.
The City especially remembers those who gave their lives for our country, and all who have served
During Memorial Day weekend, in honor of those who serve(d) in the US Military, come to Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site for these special activities: The lecture, From Badge of Military Merit to Purple Heart, will be presented on Saturday, May 25 at 2 p.m.
General George Washington, while headquartered in Newburgh, created the Badge of Military Merit on August 7th, 1782. The Badge, the first award of its kind to honor enlisted personnel, evolved into the Purple Heart, an award given today to military personnel, officers and enlisted, wounded or killed in the defense of our country.
On Saturday and Sunday, learn about Secret Messages. General Washington used a variety of secret messages to convey information back and forth with spies. All ages can try your hand at deciphering coded messages just like those in General Washington’s spy network.
The grounds, Museum and historic Hasbrouck House are open on Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 5pm. Tower of Victory tours will also be available, weather and staffing dependent. These activities are free with admission. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors/students and children 12 and under are free. (Cash and checks only). For more information, call (845) 562-1195.
From Safe Harbors of the Hudson Valley. “Thanks to the generosity of 55 donors, we hit our $5,000 matching goal for Hudson Valley Gives! Thank you to everyone who donated to help us not only reach but exceed our goal. We are so grateful for your support.”
We who feel powerless to change the course of the current events that are holding the world hostage, need to know that we are not powerless. We have a weapon that is so much more powerful than we can imagine…Fervent Prayer is our weapon. United fervent prayer. Please don’t scoff at prayer because you think yours have not been answered, and perhaps they haven’t, but have you given up? If they were for a good purpose, I hope you will keep on. As always, I close with my prayers for God’s blessings on your heads, my dears.