At a solemn yet joyous ceremony, the newly renovated Glen Cove Housing Authority offices were recently renamed for local war hero Sgt. Ralph W. Young. A familiar figure in Glen Cove history, Sgt. Young has already lent his name to Ralph W. Young Avenue, American Legion Young-Simmons Post 1765, and a tree and monument in front of the current police station, formerly Glen Cove City Hall, erected during the administration of Mayor Joseph Muldoon.

Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi was joined by City Councilmen Nick DiLeo, Mike Norman and Tony Jimenez (also a member of Young-Simmons Post); Assemblyman Chuck Lavine; Housing Authority Executive Director Eric Wingate, attorney Vincent Taranto and staff members; Rev. Craig Wright of Calvary AME Church; family and friends; and members of Young Simmons Post 1765, in full uniform and polished brass.

Mayor Suozzi said he was proud to be at the ceremony, and remarked that "Maybe my grandparents were among the families that helped the Young family" during its time of grief following the death of Sgt. Young, a 21-year-old member of the Army Air Corps whose plane crashed in the Himalayan Mountains, called the Humps by the troops, in 1945. The mayor called Sgt. Young a "great example" for the youth of Glen Cove and said he was pleased to have the hero immortalized so that "people who come to Glen Cove can see what its residents have contributed to the city's history."

In a more practical manner, two men who spend time in the offices, Mr. Wingate and Mr. Taranto, smiled and discussed the renovations, which, they agreed, demonstrated how far the Housing Authority has come. Mr. Taranto, attorney for the Housing Authority for 15 years, called the offices "one of the best, if not the best," set of offices of any city-related agency. Mr. Wingate contrasted the 10 years the offices were in the basement of 1 Mason Drive with the new digs, saying, "We're finally in real offices." He said he was proud of the turnaround in the agency from the beginning of his tenure as director, when the neighborhood was home to 15 percent of the felonies committed in Glen Cove as opposed to a current .05 percent. He praised his staff, as well as the city government and police departments, for the collaborative efforts to the improvement of the Housing Authority. "We are truly blessed," he said, adding that the residents and employees "deserve nothing less."

Mr. Wingate stated he was pleased with the dedication for two reasons. The first is the honor it pays to Ralph Young and "the way he lived his life and lost his life." The second reason, he said, is that Sgt. Young's is "a face to blend into the community, a face children can look to as a hero ... they don't have a lot of heroes here." A plaque and a framed photograph of Sgt. Young now adorn the front office of the Housing Authority on Glen Cove Avenue for children and adults alike to see.

Representatives of Young-Simmons Post 1765 included Commander David Hubbard, Chaplin James Tollard, Franklin Ward, Willibe Wilson, James Middleton and Ben Williams, who arrived in golfing duds after playing 18 holes at the Glen Cove Golf Course. Commander Hubbard remarked that the ceremony was a tribute to "all those who fell in defense of our country, who offered their lives for justice, freedom and democracy."

Members of Sgt. Young's family were on hand to join in the celebration, as were family members of Glen Cove's Frank E. Simmons, a member of the signal corps attached to General George Patton's Third Army who took part in the Normandy invasion on D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, among other battles. In recognition of the character and patriotism of Young and Simmons, American Legion Post 1765 adopted the heroes' names.

While reverential accolades and historical reminiscences were the order of the day at the ceremony, there was no mistaking the fact that the community was celebrating the accomplishments of a neighborhood. Midway through the ceremony, the sound of laughing children could be heard as they ran into the community center upstairs. The future of Glen Cove remains forever young.