NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A moving tribute is taking place Monday at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in honor of Memorial Day, and it's just one of the many events scheduled to honor the servicemen and women of our armed forces.
Mayor Bill de Blasio joined Navy commanders in honoring those in uniform at a wreath tossing ceremony, which included the unfurling of a 100-foot American flag and a rifle salute.
"It's out of deep appreciation, it's out of deep understanding of all you do, the sacrifices you make, the risks you take for all of us," he said. "So on behalf of all 8.4 million New Yorkers, I want to say to all of our men and women in uniform, a profound thank you and God bless you for what you do for this country."
Veterans also receive free admission into the museum all day, and there will be tours of the ship as well as a Coast Guard search and rescue demonstration on the Hudson River.
President Barack Obama honored our nation's heroes with a Memorial Day breakfast in the White House state dining room before he and First Lady Michelle Obama laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.
It camne after a whirlwind and unannounced visit by the commander in chief to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Obama thanked service members for their service at Bagram Air Field, telling troops that the majority of U.S. forces will leave by the end of the year. At least 2,181 members of the U.S. military have died during the nearly 13-year Afghan war and thousands more have been wounded.
Across the nation, citizens were marking Memorial Day with somber ceremonies, flag planting at cemeteries, parades and even barbecues - an American pastime that Petty Officer 1st Class Brian McNeal said should be enjoyed this weekend.
"I'm in the service so that they can enjoy that," said McNeal, 39, who is stationed in Suffolk, Virginia, and is in New York City for Fleet Week. "They made the sacrifice so everyday citizens don't have to worry about the evils of the world."
Here is a list of some of the Fleet Week and other Memorial Day events in our area:
8 a.m. - 5 p.m., General public ship tours, Pier 92, Manhattan; The Sullivans Pier, Staten Island - Ship tours will be held aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) cutter Campbell (WMEC 909) at Pier 92 in Manhattan; guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67), guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74), and Katherine Walker (WLM 552) at The Sullivans Pier in Staten Island. Lines may be capped at 3 p.m. to allow guests to finish their tours. Events are free and open to the public.11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., 147th Kings County Memorial Day Parade, Brooklyn - Service members will participate in the annual Memorial Day parade, which kicks off at 11 a.m. on 87th Street and 3rd Ave. The parade will continue to Marine Ave. then up to 4th Ave. and over to John Paul Jones Park for a memorial service that includes a wreath-laying, flag raising, playing of "Taps" and a 21 gun-salute by Soldiers from the U.S. Army Fort Hamilton Garrison. Event is free and open to the public.12:30 p.m., Bayville Memorial Day Parade, Bayville (Long Island) - Service members will participate in the annual Memorial Day parade hosted by the American Legion Post #1285. Ceremony will take place on the steps of Village Hall at 12:30 p.m. followed by the parade at 1:30 p.m. that will begin at Village Hall, down School St., onto Bayville Ave. and to Soundside Beach. Event is free and open to the public.10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Day Observance, Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Manhattan) - The program begins with a memorial service listing all fallen Pennsylvanians from the War on Terrorism and other remembrance activities, such as gathering live tapings of oral histories from visiting veterans. This year's ceremony will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. The honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of Navy, will be the guest speaker, and the Navy Band Northeast will participate.10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Pelham Memorial Day Parade, Town of Pelham -Service members will participate in one mile walk in the Town parade from Pelham Manor to the business district of Pelham, a formal Memorial Day ceremony honoring Pelham's 88 residents killed during military service. Event is free and open to the public.11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Bogota, N.J. Memorial Day Parade - Service members will participate in the annual Memorial Day parade hosted by American Legion Post #117. Event is free and open to the public.11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Allied Veterans Memorial Parade, Glendale (Queens) - Service members will participate in the annual Memorial Day parade. Event is free and open to the public.11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Intrepid Memorial Day Ceremony, Pier 86, Manhattan - Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces by at the annual Memorial Day Ceremony. Adm. Bill Gortney, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command will be the guest speaker. The Navy Band Northeast and Joint Services Color Guard will participate.2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m., U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Demonstration, Pier 86, Manhattan - U.S. Coast Guard will conduct a Search and Rescue demonstration in the water off of Pier 86 for visitors to see. Event is free and open to the public.Noon - 3:30 p.m., Staten Island Memorial Day Parade, Staten Island - Service members will participate in the annual Memorial Day parade. The parade will step off at noon from Hart Blvd. and Forest Ave. in West Brighton, then travel along Forest Ave. to Jewett Ave. in Port Richmond. A grandstand and reviewing platform will be at Manor Rd. and Greenleaf Ave. Event is free and open to the public.Noon - 5 p.m., 7th annual Splash Music Festival, Staten Island Stapleton Homeport -The free, open to the public festival will feature local musicians performing music from the 50s and 60s, rock 'n roll, pop, and jazz. Line-up includes: Noon - 2 p.m. - The Silas Knight Project; 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Angelica Joni; 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. - The Silas Knight Project1:10 p.m. - 4 p.m., Annual New York Mets/USO Military Appreciation Day, Flushing - The New York Mets and the USO of New York will host the annual Military Appreciation Day. Mets will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Events will include: first pitch from U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard service members, reenlistment and enlistment, "Field of Dreams," National Anthem, Joint Service Color Guard, and a service member from the U.S Coast Guard will participate in the New York Mets "Veteran of the Game" program, and more.2 p.m. - 5 p.m., U.S. Marine Corps Aviation/Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Demonstration, Hudson Park, New Rochelle - U.S. Marine Corps will participate in a MAGTF helo demonstration at Hudson Park. Event is free and open to the public.2 p.m. - 5 p.m., Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade, Great Neck (Queens) - Service members will participate in the annual Memorial Day parade. Parade begins at 2 p.m. and spans a more than 1 mile along Northern Blvd. in Queens. Event is free and open to the public.10:30 p.m. - 4 p.m., City Island Memorial Day Parade, City Island (Bronx) - Service members will participate in the annual Memorial Day parade hosted by the Leonard Hawkins Post #156. The event will start off with wreath-laying ceremonies at 10:30 a.m. at the Bronx Veteran Memorial Park, and 11:15 a.m. at Throgs Neck Memorial Post. The parade kicks off at 1:45 p.m. at Leonard Hawkins Post #156. Event is free and open to the public.Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
