Community Corner
Queens Community House Honors Local Veterans
Ceremony features songs, poetry, awards, praise.
To recognize Memorial Day and honor local veterans, the held a special award ceremony at the Rego Park Senior Center on Wednesday.
The event kicked off with a presentation of gratitude certificates to 13 veterans who had mostly served in World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War.
Elizabeth Levine, a social worker at QCH, then read a poem entitled “It is the soldier,” which has been attributed to U.S. Army veteran Charles M. Province and Father Dennis Edward O’Brian from the U.S. Marines Corps. She read:
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“It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protestor to burn the flag.”
Then those present sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and recited the Pledge of Allegiance during a salute to the American Flag. Muray Kelenson, who saw action in Korea, read an essay by Arizona Sen. John McCain, who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.
Entitled “Armed with only needle and thread,” the essay describes how Mike Christian, a U.S. soldier who was held captive with McCain, made a needle from bamboo. He then gathered red and white scraps of cloth and sewed them into the inside of his blue prison uniform, creating a makeshift form of Old Glory.
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Glendale resident Barry Glick, 65, a Vietnam veteran, said this was the first gathering he had ever attended during which he and his fellow soldiers received praise. He described being shocked by the cold, hostile reception the U.S. citizenry gave him after returning from his stint with the U.S. Air Force in the 1960's.
“It’s nice to finally see some appreciation for having served in the U.S. Military,” he said. “Other veterans always treated us nice, but not the general public.”
The event also gave those present the opportunity to voice their opposition to City Council plans to cut funding to senior services. Naomi Altman, an associate executive director at QCH, explained that proposed funding reductions could completely eliminate an entire agency senior program.
They served, she reasoned, and now they deserve to be served.