Stories Behind The Stones: Veterans' Memorial At The Liberty Flagpole

Despite steady rain, the Palisades community, including the John M. Perry American Legion Post, Sparkill, Palisades volunteer firefighters and Ladies Auxiliary, gathered at the Liberty flagpole for a solemn Memorial Day ceremony honoring the fallen. Former Palisades resident and West Point graduate Chris Choi, an Army Captain who deployed to Afghanistan three times, delivered a moving address that put the true meaning of the day into focus, offering a poignant reminder of the sacrifices we honor. What follows are highlights from his speech that day. (You can download the full text below.)

"Memorial Day often gets confused with Veterans Day... They feel similar, but they're not the same. As many of us know, Veterans Day is for those of us who served and came home, but Memorial Day is for those who didn't. Today belongs to the ones who aren't here… and it belongs to the families who carry their absence every day, not just today."

"Every war we've fought as Americans is represented somewhere in this town – it’s in someone's family tree and it’s in a folded flag on someone's mantle... That's the lineage. From a December river crossing in 1776 to a roadside bomb just a few years ago. Every link in that chain has a name attached to it. And every name has a family."

"So to the families with an empty chair at the table... We can't give them back, but we can promise you… their names will not be forgotten in this town. To the veterans here - We came home… and they didn't. And that's a debt that we don't pay off - we carry it. And the only way that I know how to carry it is to try to be worth it."

"That's the question this day asks each of us. Not 'are we grateful?' - because gratitude is easy to give. The real question is: are we worth it? Are we worth what they paid? ... It's answered in how we live, how we treat each other, how seriously we take this country that they died for."

Our remembrance continues Veterans Day, November 11, when neighbors are encouraged to visit the historic stone marker at the Liberty Flagpole honoring Palisades residents who served in both World Wars. At the base of the flagpole, visitors can see colorful stones painted by local children for Memorial Day - a touching tribute from our youngest generation. The monument highlights a deep legacy of local service, exemplified by Palisades resident and NYPD Officer Henry Garrison, who read the Orange Town Resolutions of 1774 at this year’s Memorial Day ceremony. Henry comes from a long line of patriots; the names of his grandfather John and great-uncle George are engraved on the World War II plaque, and his great-great-uncle was a Civil War casualty who laid down his young life in Virginia to preserve our Union. All three Garrison family members, along with several other honored veterans named on the bronze plaques, are buried nearby in the Palisades Cemetery.

Building upon last year’s tribute which brought together both residents and Legionnaires to lay green balsam remembrance wreaths on veterans' graves, the Palisades Cemetery will observe National Wreaths Across America Day on Saturday, December 19th. You can support this initiative by sponsoring a wreath in honor or memory of a loved one, volunteering to place them, or both.

Please invite friends, family, coworkers and local organizations to participate to ensure no local veteran is ever forgotten. Sign up via the official Palisades Wreaths Across America webpage, NYPCEM, or email palisadeswreaths@gmail.com for details.