For the 24th commemoration of Patriot Day, volunteers showed their solidarity by cleaning the headstones of fallen veterans at the Long Island National Cemetery.
The act was just one of an effort alongside 66 other U.S. national cemeteries, led by nonprofit organization Carry The Load, in remembrance of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
“It's really a way to honor the veterans and the families that have sacrificed so much,” said Michael Fehn, administrative officer at the Long National Cemetery. “It started after 9/11, but it's a way to come out, give to those who gave so much for this country, realize what this is, what this is all about, what we have here and how fortunate we are to have it.”
At the Long Island National Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York, 85 Bayshore Middle School students and 20 others organized through Carry The Load gathered in the effort, with other volunteers lending a hand throughout the day. Together, they were able to scrub the headstones of fallen soldiers located at the site.
Among the volunteers was Oceanside resident John Antista.
“I believe they said there's over 370,000 headstones here, which means that's 370,000 people who fought, in a sense, for our freedom,” Antista said. “So, I think that's extremely important to remember, especially in times like we're in right now.”
Former New York Police Department detective Luis G. Alvarez is also buried at the site. Alvarez was instrumental in the fight to replenish the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund up to his death from colorectal cancer, believed to be the result of his three months investigating at Ground Zero.
He was diagnosed in 2016 and passed away in June 2019. A month later, the fund was replenished for all those who experienced complications from the tragedy.
“Veterans and their families sacrifice so much, whether it's during a war or peacetime,” said Fehn. “Every one of them raised their right hand, and every one of their families was right with them during that whole period and during their service. This is one way to show that they'll never be forgotten.”
