Parades, wreath-laying among events marking Memorial Day in Tri-State area
NEW YORK (WABC) -- American military members who died serving their country were honored in Memorial Day events throughout the Tri-State area.
Former President Bill Clinton, former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo marched in the Town of New Castle Memorial Day parade.
The Clintons have been marching in the parade since 2000 when they bought a home in nearby Chappaqua.
They said they there not to talk about politics, but about the service members who died fighting for their country.
"I do it every year because I think it's important to honor everyone who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of our rights, our values and our freedom, and it's here in our hometown and I love seeing everybody," said Hillary Clinton.
"We know people here who have lost family members in battle and it's an important day for Americans, all of us," said Bill Clinton. "It's one thing that ought to bring us together."
Many parades in Long Island and New Jersey were cancelled because of the rain on Monday.
In Merrick, Long Island, people got word that the parade had been cancelled just as they were showing up to march.
But five troops - three Girl Scout troops, one Boy Scout troop and one Cub Scout troop - decided to march anyway.
Children's families spread out along the original route, cheering the children on as they all walked up Merrick Avenue.
Police offered an escort and closed the road for them to march until they reached the Camp Avenue Veterans Memorial Park.
Three Nassau County police officers monitored the parade.
Later in the afternoon, the Little Neck Memorial Day Parade marched through Queens, one of the largest Memorial Day parades in the country.
A ceremony was also held honoring fallen soldiers from the Little Neck-Douglaston area. The parade in Douglaston honored several World War II veterans including Luke Gasparre who fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
A wreath-laying ceremony took place at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum on Manhattan's West Side.
Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at the annual event, along with U.S. Fleet Forces Commander Adm. Phil Davidson.
The remarks were followed by the unfurling of a 100-foot American flag, the laying of ceremonial wreaths, a three-volley rifle salute, the playing of Echo Taps and a Missing Man military aircraft flyover by F/A-18s.
Memorial Day was also the last full day of Fleet Week New York, which brings several thousand sailors, Marines and Coast Guard members to the city to interact with the public. The ships were scheduled to leave Tuesday.
In Washington, a ceremony was held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
