Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor our war dead and New Hyde Park and Williston Park made sure to do that. New Hyde Park held its parade on Saturday stopping at both New Hyde Park Village Hall to place wreaths and then at Memorial Park to place another wreath. Williston Park started off Monday, Memorial Day with a moving American Legion Post Everlasting Service to honor those legionnaires who died during the course of the year and then they marched through the streets of Williston Park to end at the village hall with yet another wreath service.

New Hyde Park Mayor Daniel Petruccio, who gave the keynote speech on Saturday said "The theme for this Memorial Day, as it is with all other Memorial Days, is that of sacrifice. Young men and women in the prime of their lives have consistently given their most prized possession, their life, for a most noble cause. That cause goes by many names and expressions: freedom, democracy, patriotism, liberty. Ronald Reagan identified this theme in his speech honoring those who died on the beaches during the D-Day invasion in 1944 when he said, 'You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny and you knew the people of your countries were behind you."

Petruccio went on to say, "We are here to witness to the fact that we are, as a community, behind those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Reagan went on to say, 'No speech can adequately portray their suffering, their sacrifice, their heroism.' President Lincoln once reminded us that through their deeds of battle have spoken more eloquently for themselves than any of the living ever could. But we can only honor them by rededicating ourselves to the cause for which they gave a last full measure of devotion. Today we do rededicate ourselves to that cause. And at this place of honor, we're humbled by the realization of how much so many gave to the cause of freedom and to their fellow man.

"We, as a community take the opportunity on this 24th day of May in the year 2008 to take time from our daily routine to pause and reflect and, yes, remember those who spoke most eloquently through their deeds and their sacrifices."

Williston Park Mayor Ludwig Odierna gave the keynote speech at the end of Williston Park parade on the steps of Williston Park Village Hall. He said, in part, "This year I wanted to give a speech from someone who has served, a veteran. Therefore, I received these words from a veteran who wants to remain anonymous." He said, "Once again we join to honor our fallen heroes on this solemn day of remembrance, Memorial Day 2008.

"Not many Americans know the true history behind the day,' so let me indulge you for a few minutes. After the end of the Civil War, many towns and cities set aside a day to mark the end of war as a day to remember those that died. Many historians believe that the first Memorial Day was actually observed in 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina. Several hundred recently freed slaves and Union soldiers conducted the event at the site of a Confederate prison camp where many Union soldiers had died in captivity. The event included a parade and patriotic singing and a picnic.

"However, the place that officially is credited with establishing Memorial Day, as a national holiday, is Waterloo, New York. They first observed it on May 5, 1866 and continued to do so every year after.

"The other reason is that Waterloo was also where General John Murray resided, who was also a close personal friend of the then, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic General John Logan. General Logan led the efforts to call for a day to be observed each year and helped spread the event nationwide. He noted how the ancient Greeks had honored their dead heroes, with flowers and laurel and thus issued a proclamation that declared May 30, 1868, a day that was not the anniversary of any battle, the first 'Decoration Day' where by all the known sites of fallen Union soldiers graves, would be decorated in remembrance of this day.

"From here the name 'Memorial Day' slowly crept in as the recognized name from this day, but did not become official until 1967. With the passing of the Uniform Holidays Bill on June 28, 1968, Memorial Day became an official holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday in May.

"The need and basis for Memorial Day as a national day of remembrance for those that died defending our freedom and our way of life, is just and without question, part of the fabric of who we are as Americans. It is a day to remember them as the sole reason for our existence as a free nation, under God, indivisible. It is a day to remember their selfless service and their ultimate sacrifice.

"Let us also use this day to remember those men and women living among us who are also honoring and mourning the members of their unit, their friends, their brother in arms, the guy to the right and left, who personally witnessed the bravery, suffering and ultimate sacrifice of these heroes. Remember to say thank you."

Mayor Odierna ended his speech by saying, "God bless our fallen heroes, God bless those veterans living among us and God Bless America."