Gold Star Remembrance in Middle Island

Residents turned out Sunday in “remembrance, respect, and gratitude” with the Gold Star Mothers who lost children in service to the nation.

The Seventh Annual ceremony was held at Bartlett Pond Park in Middle Island, which features a stunning array of monuments to those lost in every American conflict from the Revolutionary War to the present.

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“Preserving and honoring the memory and legacy of fallen heroes for future generations is crucial in ensuring that their sacrifices are never forgotten,” Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano told the humbled crowd. He singled out

Gail Lynch-Bailey of the Longwood Alliance and Middle Island Civic Association for organizing the event every year and recognized those in attendance, including: Brookhaven Councilman Mike Loguercio, Legislator Sarah Anker, and Chad Lennon, who is running for the legislator’s seat now that she is term limited, as well as representatives of the Central Brookhaven Lions Club, Coram and Middle Island fire departments, Longwood Central School District, Boy Scout Troop 560, and area Rotary Clubs.

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“The nation began observing Gold Star Mother’s Day in 1939 with the star signifying the symbols placed in the windows of homes that lost a family member at war,” Lynch-Bailey noted. Also participating in the ceremony were Blue Star Mothers of children currently serving in the military.