Marine Corps Vet Sanders Commemorates Memorial Day With Parade March

State Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale Village, Far Rockaway), a Marine Corps veteran, commemorated Memorial Day by marching in two local Queens parades on Monday, participating in ceremonies in Laurelton and Rosedale. Although for many of us Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and is a time for barbecues, going to the beach or spending time with family, Sanders reminded residents not forget the true meaning of the holiday.
 
“On Memorial Day we remember with solemn gratitude those who have given their lives for our freedom,” Sanders said. “As a Marine Corps veteran, it is especially important to me that we never forget the tremendous sacrifice our service members make every day to protect our American way of life.”
 
At the Laurelton Memorial Day Parade, Senator Sanders spoke about how when someone joins the armed forces that person vows to fight enemies both foreign and domestic. He called attention to one of our nation's recent fallen heros - Army veteran Ricky John Best, 53, a father of four, who was stabbed to death after confronting a man spouting racist slurs at two teenagers on train in Oregon - one was black, the other was Muslim and wearing a hijab. A second man was fatally stabbed and a third wounded in the incident as they accompanied Best in fending off the perpetrator. 

"Best was a white man who had no reason to get involved, but he was a good American and he was patriot," Sanders said. "He surrendered his life for the service of Democracy. He should be remembered. The other people who joined in to help, they should be remembered."

At the Rosedale Memorial Day Parade, Sanders presented proclamations to its grand marshals -  Sgt. Lee Blackmon and Sam Elliott. Sanders also participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the conclusion of the parade, which took place at the Veterans & Vietnam Memorial Monument on Francis Lewis Boulevard and Sunrise Highway.
 
Following the festivities, Sanders attended a Memorial Day reception at the Rosedale American Legion where there was music and complementary food and drink. It was a great opportunity for Sanders to speak to the veteran community one-on-one, and to meet other local residents and armed forces supporters.