In a ceremony honoring 33 Levittown and Island Trees young men who lost their lives while defending the U.S., Island Trees Memorial Middle School dedicated a remembrance plaque to be mounted in the school.

In a fitting ceremony just before Veterans Day, the Island Trees School community, VFW Post 9592, American Legion Post 1711 and the Levittown/Island Trees Veterans Council planned a moving ceremony that brought many in the room to tears.

"This ceremony was scheduled for this day and at this school not by chance, but very deliberately," Superintendent of Schools Jim Parla said. "I think all of you know, this building stands as a memorial to all those who made the ultimate sacrifice as well as to all our veterans who serve our country throughout the year. I also think it is important for our students to be reminded of the importance of Veterans Day and patriotism."

"The freedom that we all have is not free," a visibly choked up Parla, added.

"As a remembrance plaque will be permanently mounted in a display case here at Memorial Middle School, we look forward to honoring these men on a daily basis," Principal Roger Bloom said.

Social Studies Chairperson Sean Burns described the history behind each war that the 33 honorees fought in. The son of a Vietnam veteran, Burns said he was both "proud and humble to be here today."

Select seventh-graders read the names of each life lost in the Korean, Vietnam and Iraq Wars. Drummers from the fifth and sixth grade band played quietly in the background.

"An astonishing 110 of those lost would come from Nassau County with three of them being our sons, the sons of Levittown and Island Trees," Burns said.

Charlie Burton, William R. Fisher and John A. Maciaq all lost their lives in the Korean War.

Steven Anderson, Robert E. Cain, Gerald Cohen, Wayne S. Crandall, Garry Fernandez, John Ferrara, Kerry Geddes, Edward F. Glenn, Jr., Kullum W. Grant, William J. Hammer, William Henaghan, Donald Hollanbach, Raymont Inslee, Mickey Johns, Kenneth Johnson, Terrance Jordan, Stephen E. Karopczyc, John F. Kitson, Ronald A. Klingman, Adam Knech, Daniel McGrath, Charles Molano, Edward T. Murphy, Patrick Murphy, Stephen Palazolla, Richard A. Patterson, Salvatore Polizzi, Robert Sanzone and Robert G. Schmidt were all killed in the Vietnam War.

"Amongst the 58,000 lost would be 29 valiant sons from the Levittown-Island Trees community who gave their last full measure of devotion in the jungles of Vietnam," Burns said.

Most recently, Daniel Fuentes was killed in action earlier this year while in the Iraq War.

"Of this growing number, one is a son of Island Trees who gave the last full measure of devotion to his country in the streets of Baghdad on the 6th of April, 2007," Burns said.

The Karopczyc, Molano, Murphy and Fuentes families were all in attendance.

The plaque which these names were engraved on was donated by the VFW Post 9592, American Legion Post 1711 and the Levittown/Island Trees Veterans Council, and will be hung in a permanently lit display case "as a sign of eternal life," Bloom said.

Legislator Dennis Dunne, Sr., president of the Levittown/Island Trees Veterans Council and a lifelong Levittown resident, said he personally knew many of the deceased.

"The emotions that we go through hearing these names are so high," Dunne, a Vietman veteran, said. "We don't want them to be forgotten."

David Mannlein, a seventh grade student read a poem he wrote for the Flag Etiquette Program when he was in third grade. It follows:

"Every morning at school we say the Pledge of Allegiance. Many children only know how to say the Pledge; they don't know what it means. Maybe only a few kids in school know what the words mean. People don't even show respect for the flag anymore. When you show respect for the flag, you take your hat off when the pledge is said and you put your hand over your heart. When you show respect for the flag, you're not only showing respect for our beautiful country, but you're showing respect for the veterans who fought in wars for the United States. The veterans of America had the courage to fight for their country and that is why the flag stands for courage."

Offering some closing remarks, American Legion 2nd Division Commander Andy Booth said he carries Mannlein's poem with him every day.

"When I think about whether it was all worth it, I take that poem out and look at it and think, yes it was," he added.