Veterans Day ceremony in Huntington: Pride, gratitude for country, comrades

For John Geiss, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and Navy, the annual event outside Huntington Town Hall to honor the men and women who served in the nation’s armed forces made him feel grateful.

“It's great that people honor us like this. I just don't know how to express [it]. It's just gratitude,” said Geiss, 92, of Centerport, after the 45-minute ceremony where officials offered remarks and members of the Church of St. Patrick’s chorale sang patriotic songs.

The event, held ahead of Veterans Day on Nov. 11, was attended by more than 100 people, including veterans, family members and youth groups.

Geiss’ sentiments were shared by Herb Margolin, 89, of East Northport, who said the event filled him with gratitude and pride as he was honored among fellow veterans, whom he considered an extended family.

“I feel very prideful that I’m considered to be among the group who worked [to protect] the country,” Margolin said. “We learned service to the country. We learned how to be proud of our nation because we served it. We worked for it. We sweated for it. Some guys bled for it.”

Margolin, accompanied by his wife of 64 years, Sandra, served in the Navy during the Korean War.

“It's a surprise to many of us how we managed to stand up to [combat],” Margolin said. “You are grateful for the guy that stands next to you for being there and holding you up while you are holding them up. You are particularly grateful for the organization and everybody who works together for a common goal, which is to stay alive.”

The veterans said they hope younger generations will remember to not take things for granted. Because “freedom is never free,” they repeated.

Mark Tyree, a U.S. Air Force and Army National Guard veteran who works for the Town of Huntington, said this year’s ceremony carried new significance. Tyree, 56, of Medford, joined the Air Force two months after he graduated from Bellport High School in 1985.

“It feels a little different this year because of what's going on in the world,” he said, referring to the Israel-Hamas war. “If I got a call to go back and serve, I would.”

By Dandan Zou

dandan.zou@newsday.com@DandanZou

Dandan Zou covers education for Newsday. Previously, she worked for a community newspaper in Maryland and a personal finance magazine in Washington, D.C.