Queens Honors Those Who Served

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Members of the military carry flags at the Queensborough Community College Veterans Day commemoration last Wednesday. Photos courtesy of QCC.

Members of the military carry flags at the Queensborough Community College Veterans Day commemoration last Wednesday. Photos courtesy of QCC.

By David Brand

Queens Daily Eagle

From Arverne to Astoria, Queens remembers the brave women and men who served the United States, including those who gave their lives defending liberty.

Last Wednesday, Queensborough Community College recognized veteran students, staff and alumni. The event featured a speech by the president of the Student Veterans Club.

“Nearly 300 of our students claim such status and distinction, as do more than two dozen faculty and staff persons,” a school spokesperson told the Eagle.

At the dinner, interim President Timothy G. Lynch served food to community members.

“This evening is just a small way that we can acknowledge our debt to you—coming so close as it does to Election Day, it is prescient to remember the sacrifices of military personnel who established and defend our freedoms, including the right to vote—and is an opportunity to serve those who have served so many,” Lynch said.

Queens residents lined the sidewalk along Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village on Sunday for the neighborhood’s annual Veteran’s Day Parade. The event culminated with a special ceremony at Christ the King High School.

On Saturday. the Lewis Latimer House hosted a special “Voices From War” presentation, featuring stories from veterans of diverse backgrounds. The historic site preserves the former home of African-American inventor and Union Army Civil War veteran Lewis H. Latimer.

The Voelker Orth Museum observed the occasion with Veteran's Day Concert, featuring a performance by flutist and composer Stephen Josephs.

Though it’s baseball’s offseason, the Mets are opening the gates at Citi Field but the ballclub’s first-ever Mets Military Transition Summit. The event takes place Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Flushing stadium. The summit includes workshops to assist vets with digital networking, resume building and interview skills.

Even local transit agencies have found a unique way to honor veterans in Queens.

All weekend long, the Port Authority and the MTA offered free LaGuardia Link Q70 buses. The MTA said the special service was designed to encourage travelers to use mass transit to and from the airport during Veterans Day weekend.

And, as it does every day, the NYC Veterans Alliance worked to foster connections among members of the military and military families in Queens and throughout the Tri-State Area.