Millbrook honors fallen heroes, despite pandemic

MILLBROOK — On a day over-cast and cool,  a small group of people gathered at the Village Green to pay tribute to those who gave their lives in the line of duty. Around noon, cars followed the five Millbrook firetrucks, beeping their horns as they passed. It was not like other Memorial Day celebrations, COVID-19 had changed that, with Governor Andrew Cuomo barring gatherings of more than 10. 

The flag flew at half-mast; there was no large crowd. In a short address, Washington town Supervisor Gary Ciferri mentioned the victims of the pandemic as well as those of veterans lost. 

“This is normally a pretty big deal, but the main thought of Memorial Day remains and doesn’t diminish the service of those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” he said before the service. “As a combat vet [of Vietnam] who came back unscathed, this is a special time to remember those who didn’t. We can’t forget those behind the occasion.”

Mark Boissey, who is in the U.S. Naval Reserves and is currently seeking a commission as an officer in the Navy, related that he was away last year, and missed the Millbrook tributes. 

“Memorial Day is so important, especially to those who have served,” he said. “It was heartbreaking to think that it wouldn’t be observed. In spite of the pandemic, we wanted some observance of the day.” 

He discussed it with close friend Jonathan Ialongo, an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and together they reached out to the community.

“This will be different, much smaller, and we want to maintain the social distancing and all, but we still need to honor and do whatever we can to pay tribute to those who sacrificed so much for us,” Ialongo agreed.