SOMERS, N.Y. - Westchester County marked Veterans Day a little early with a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 7, at Lasdon Public Gardens and Veterans Memorial in Somers.
County Executive Ken Jenkins and Veterans Service Agency Director Joshua Gaccione joined local veterans and other officials at the event.
Veterans Day is Tuesday, Nov. 11. Somers is celebrating with a parade which steps off at 10:15 a.m. at Bailey Park and ends at Ivandell Cemetery on Route 202 at 11 a.m.
“Veterans Day is a time for the nation to express our gratitude for those who put country before personal safety to ensure our enduring liberty,” Jenkins said, adding: “But we want to make sure that in Westchester County, every day is Veterans Day.”
“Our gratitude for your service is deep and real. But it is through the ongoing work that our Veterans Service Agency does for veterans and their families, that we put our gratitude into action. We see you, we appreciate you, and we are here for you and your families just as you were here for us,” he said.
Veterans Service Agency Director Gaccione also honored the “commitment few understand and even fewer make.”
“As all veterans know, the mission doesn't end when the uniform comes off. What truly defines our veterans is their ongoing commitment to service. We are incredibly proud to witness these same patriots carrying that sense of duty into our communities -- mentoring youth, supporting fellow veterans in need and stepping up wherever a helping hand is required. Their courage, dedication and loyalty continue to be an inspiration to us all,” he said.
Attendees also heard from 30-year army veteran and local entrepreneur Rosa Ramirez, who shared her inspirational story of rising through the ranks of the military, earning three masters degrees and becoming an entrepreneur.
“Today, let us honor our veterans not only with gratitude, but with action. Let us build lives, businesses and communities that reflect their courage. Let us remember that the legacy we inherit is not just to remember, it is to rise,” she said.
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