A special Memorial Day observance honoring fallen service members and Purple Heart recipients will be held Monday at the New York State Veterans Cemetery–Finger Lakes in Seneca County.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the cemetery on Route 96A and is being organized by the New York State Department of Veterans’ Services and the Friends of the New York State Veterans Cemetery–Finger Lakes.
The observance will pay tribute to members of the Armed Forces who died while serving the country and will include a special “Purple Heart Roll Call of Honor” recognizing the 33 Purple Heart recipients buried at the cemetery.
Family members attending the ceremony will also receive New York State legislative resolutions honoring the veterans’ courage, sacrifice, and service. The resolutions were authored under the leadership of State Senator Tom O’Mara and Assemblymen Phil Palmesano and Jeff Gallahan.
Former State Senator Mike Nozzolio, chairman of the Friends organization, said the event is especially meaningful as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Two veterans connected to the former Sampson Naval Training Station and Sampson Air Force Base will also be recognized during the ceremony — World War II Navy veteran Lloyd Evans of Geneva and Air Force veteran Dr. Ken Padgett, former president of New York Chiropractic College and a longtime Seneca County resident.
The Purple Heart Roll Call of Honor will be led by Purple Heart recipient Sean Edmunds, who serves as Wayne County’s veterans service officer and is a member of the Friends board.
Officials will also recognize the historical significance of the former Sampson Naval Training Station and Sampson Air Force Base, where roughly 750,000 service members trained during World War II and the Cold War.
Additional ceremony highlights will include an invocation and benediction by Pastor Rob Mellgard of Ovid Federated Church, the Pledge of Allegiance led by Tanya Roberts of the veterans cemetery staff, and performances of the National Anthem and Hymn of Remembrance by Benjamin Pomerance of the New York State Department of Veterans’ Services.
Remarks are also expected from Nozzolio, O’Mara, and Palmesano.
