Of course, the mayors whose letters you printed are unquestionably right. I hope Roslyn's firemen will reconsider their decision not to take part in the Memorial Day parade, which is a tradition in this village and throughout our country.

In a way, their action is a wakeup call, which most of us probably need. I do.

My father, Maurice Arstark 120788, Co. G., 106th United States Infantry (New York's Orion Division) was 18 when he enlisted in the American Expeditionary Force in 1917. He served in France and was in action at: East Poperinghe Line, Vierstraat Ridge, Dickebush Sector Belgium Knoll, Guillemont Farm, Quinnemont Farm, Hindenburg Line.

He was wounded two times and he died in 1933 from shrapnel or bullet metal never removed from a thigh wound. It burst his appendix. He was by then 33. My mother (dead in 1984) was widowed at 32. I was eight.

My father received the United States Victory Medal with bars for the Somme Offensive and Ypres-Lys Defensive Sector.

He was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster (#2055) "for wounds received in action Aug. 9, 1918 and Sept. 29, 1918." As a result of the second wound he was hospitalized in England.

In recent times, Memorial Day celebrations have been taken for granted by those of us not touched by war -- and even most of us who have served in wars, but came out of them. I am one of those. I live on the parade route and hang out my flag, but that's it.

Fun and cookouts, bargain sales are the order of the day on this usually long, lazy weekend, and that's as it should be. However, let's not lessen whatever impact the true purpose of Memorial Day should have.

I truly hope the Roslyn firemen volunteers -- who may not think politics or snits are more important than this ultimate American memorial tradition -- reconsider and join in the parade. However justified they may thought to be, this certainly isn't the way to resolve them.

Lester D. Arstark