I am writing in response to the letters in last week's paper (April 22) from Mayors Galante and Ben-Moshe. I find it very sad that these public officials know so very little about our community and its past with regard to Memorial Day.

I have lived my entire 51 years in the Roslyn community and I am a 30 year member of the Roslyn Highlands Fire Company. It is not my intention to bring out the inaccuracies in Mayor Galante's statements about fire company budgets, that I am certain will be done by others. No, I want these two mayors to know that the Roslyn Fire Companies have never failed to observe Memorial Day, even in times when some villages pulled their support in protest of the war in Vietnam or when the streets were empty. The parades I remember were not Roslyn village parades, but Roslyn community parades. At one point they did seem to fade away, but one thing has always been certain, rain or shine, good times or bad, there has always been services at each of the fire company headquarters with prayers and the mournful sound of Taps echoing in the air. These services are attended by many area veterans who also happen to be firefighters. Many hours are spent remembering fallen comrades and lost friends both veteran and firematic.

Mayor Galante states she is "personally uncomfortable" about this non participation, and she asks, "How dare we refuse to participate?" I ask, how dare you, Madam, presume to tell me how to observe Memorial Day? The first time I marched in our parade it was with my late father, who was the commander of VFW and I was 5 years old. I marched again with him 16 years later, by then I was a veteran myself and proudly marched with a firing squad composed of Roslyn area Vietnam veterans.

How dare you, Madam, presume to heap guilt upon me? You know many names on the Wall? Do you know the names of those from the Greater Roslyn area? I do! And I also know the names and locations of those who died standing along side me during the Tet offensive in 1968 in the City of Hue.

How dare either of you presume to speak of my lack of respect for our fighting forces? The traditions and respect I learned from my father continue with my only son being in the Marine Corps Reserve and also a Roslyn firefighter.

I take your remarks personally because I stand firmly behind the officers and members of the Roslyn fire companies and always will.

I know there will be an observance, just as there always is, and it will be attended, as it always is, by many Roslyn firefighters and their families. And that Madam, is something both of you may presume.

Bernard H. Murtagh, Jr.

Past President Roslyn Highlands