Great Neck residents lined Middle Neck Road beneath a clear blue sky Monday morning as veterans, emergency responders and civic groups marched through the heart of the peninsula to honor fallen soldiers in the 89th annual Great Neck Memorial Day parade.
Hundreds of people, from stroller-borne toddlers to veterans in decades-old uniforms, took in the parade as it would up Middle Neck Road from Schenck Avenue to the Village Green. Marchers included representatives from all elements of Great Neck’s civic life – firefighters and police officers, military organizations, midshipmen the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Boy scouts and Girl Scouts, elected officials and religious groups, among others.
“Memorial Day in the United States is often thought of as a holiday to spend with friends and family and loved ones,” said the parade’s grand marshal, Marine Sgt. Elliot Lichtenstein, at a ceremony on the green following the parade. “I hope that you spend the day enjoying your barbecues and get-togethers and that you take a moment to remember those who have fought to defend the freedom that we all enjoy today, and to give our thanks to the brave men and woman who served selflessly and have sacrificed so much.”
Lichtenstein graduated from Great Neck North High School before joining the Marine Corps., where he served as a military policeman at Camp Pendleton in California and an embassy guard in Moscow, among other postings. Serving as the parade’s grand marshal was already in his blood – his great grandfather was held that position in the 1960s, according to Lichtenstein.
“It’s the day to memorialize those who came before us and paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Lichtenstein said. “It’s an honor to be part of this day and this ceremony.”
The parade began with the sounds of drums and horns from the Merchant Marine Academy’s marching band, following by hundreds of midshipmen marching in white dress uniforms.
Village of Great Neck Mayor Ralph Kreitzman, Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender, Town Councilwoman Anna Kaplan and Nassau County Legislator Judi Bosworth follow shortly after.
Other public figures, including state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, former Great Neck Estates Mayor and candidate for this year’s county comptroller race Howard Weitzman, state Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel, Nassau County Legislator Wayne Wink, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman and Great Neck Public Schools board President Barbara Berkowitz were also in attendance, according to organizers.
Other civic groups followed. The NYPD and FDNY Emerald Societies, decked out in kilts and other Gaelic regalia, played the bagpipes. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts also marched, and the Great Neck South High School marching band performed as well.
The Great Neck Alert and Great Neck Vigilant fire companies sent their fire trucks rolling down Middle Neck Road. And local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion groups marched too, in memory of fallen soldiers.
The parade concluded with a memorial ceremony, where a detail of veterans saluted wreaths placed to honor the dead.
Sgt. Liam Carnahan of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps delivered a tribute to veterans and expressed solidarity between Canada and the United States on the day of remembrance.
“I would extend a heartfelt thank you from your neighbors to the north for the sacrifice that so many Americans have made for peace,” Carnahan said. “This day belongs to all Americans, though especially the most selfless few. The troops, and your emergency services.”
