PORT JERVIS–The city of Port Jervis held its annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony, bringing residents together to celebrate and honor those serving in the armed forces.
The parade marched through the streets of downtown Port Jervis. It began at Port Jervis Middle School at 10:30 a.m. and made its way to the historic Orange Square Veterans Park, where the ceremony commenced at 11 a.m. and ended a little before noon.
The morning of Nov. 11 was crisp and dry. The first small snowflakes of the season fell on the parade and attendees. No snow accumulated to wet the shoes of the people of Port Jervis, but it blew about on the chilly November wind and past the waving flags.
The parade was organized by the Port Jervis Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 161 in collaboration with the city of Port Jervis. The parade included police vehicles, veterans from Post 161 and Tri-States Naval Ship 7241, the Port Jervis-based Broome Street Band, the Port Jervis High School Marching Band, antique military vehicles, Boy Scouts, the Port Jervis Fire Department, and the Port Jervis and Greenville Volunteer Ambulances.
The ceremony opened with a prayer by VFW Post 161 Chaplain Steve Kronimus. Attendees bowed their heads to pray for veterans and to remember the Armistice of Nov. 11, 1918, which ended World War I.
Kronimus lamented that he was unable to wear a uniform on the day. He is an active member of the New York National Guard and was given an order by an Air National Guard Public Affairs Officer that service members would not be permitted to participate in community events in uniform.
The prayer was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem, sung by the Port Jervis choir.
Tri-State Naval Ship Post 7241 Captain Fabrizzio Morejon served as the master of ceremonies for the Veterans Day proceedings at the Orange Square Veterans Park.
“Today is not just another federal holiday,“ he said. ”It’s also not a day that we should confuse with Memorial Day. Since today, Veterans Day, is to recognize the living service men and women. Today is an opportunity for a grateful nation to recognize and celebrate every single individual who’s worn the uniform of the United States Armed Services in war, or in peace, on active duty, or in the reserve.”
The Grove Street Band played the Armed Forces Medley. A three-volley salute, followed by “Taps” and the Port Jervis High School Marching Band, closed out the ceremony.
Vietnam veteran Wilbur Wesselius held the American Flag during the ceremony. He served from 1967 to 1969 with the First Cavalry Division.
Wesselius told The Epoch Times that his favorite thing about Veterans Day in Port Jervis is when veterans carry the flag down the parade route and then come back for a salute to all their fellow veterans.
Wesselius said he is thankful to be able to carry the flag and have somewhere warm to stay this Veterans Day.
George Kovatch retired from 22 years of service in the Marine Corps in 2017 and now serves as the quartermaster of the Port Jervis VFW.
Kovatch explained what the VFW does.
“We’re a service organization, and not only do we look to serve other veterans, but we serve the community, too, and so that’s what we do,” he said.
“Besides the parades and stuff like this, we host a myriad of events, and we raise money, and do charity events. We donate to the local charities, the food banks, the Salvation Army, and many other things.”
He also said, “My favorite part [of Veterans Day] is that it’s one day that everybody ... can recognize veterans of all eras, whether they served in war or not.
