| MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY AT 10 am WAS ATTENDED BY OVER 300 PEOPLE. THE PROGRAM FEATURED THE LEXINGTON VETERANS HONOR GUARD - THE LEE COUNTY PIPES AND DRUM BAND - FAMED DIXIELAND JAZZ TRUMPETER JOE BRUNO PLAYING "TO THE COLORS", "TAPS" & "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL" - NBC2'S SLOANE HEFFERNAN SPOKE ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY IN RELATION TO 9/11. REPUBLIC OF KOREA AIR FORCE LT. COLONEL JINHO KIM TALKED ABOUT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KOREAN WAR, WHAT IT MEANT TO THE KOREAN PEOPLE & THE WORLD. HE ALSO TALKED ABOUT "OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM" OF WHICH HE IS A COALITION MEMBER AND 9/11. COLONEL KIM AWARDED THE NEW KOREAN WAR MEDAL TO FIVE COMBAT VETERANS OF THE KOREAN WAR: JAMES ALVORD, JOE BRUNO, PAUL GIACCHETTI, RICH HILL & MARGUERITE BERNADONE, IN HONOR OF HER DECEASED HUSBAND, DONATO. DECEASED LEXINGTON VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES WERE ALSO HONORED. Photos by Joan Sims |
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| Army Korean War Veteran Paul Giacchetti presented ROK Korean War Medal by Lt. Col. Jinho Kim | Lexington Honor Guard marches in | Marguerite Bernadone receives ROK Korean War Medal from Lt. Col. Kim in behalf of her deceased husband, Donato |
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| Lee County Pipes & Drums play "Amazing Grace" | NBC2's Sloane Heffernan delivers Keynote Speech | Honor Guard with Lt. Col. Kim of the ROK Air Force & Operation Enduring Freedom |
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JUNE 2002 SPECIAL EVENT
| ON SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2002, WE WERE VISITED BY GENERAL KIM, HYO-KEUN, HIS WIFE, AND HIS STAFF, AIR FORCE COLONEL KIM, AND ARMY COLONELS KIM & JEONG - ALL MILITARY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA COALITION TO "OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM" CENTCOM HQ IN TAMPA. GENERAL KIM PRESENTED LEXINGTON AND THE VETERANS CLUB WITH A LARGE KOREAN FLAG AND A BEAUTIFUL WALL PLAQUE DEPICTING NONG-AK (KOREAN FARMER'S MUSIC FESTIVAL). THE PLAQUE NOW HANGS IN THE RESTAURANT ENTRANCE IN THE MAIN CLUBHOUSE. PRESENT AT THE CEREMONY WERE THE VETS CLUB OFFICERS & HONOR GUARD TOGETHER WITH A SELECT GROUP OF KOREAN WAR COMBAT VETERANS. ALSO PRESENT WAS LEXINGTON RESIDENT AHN, YONG AND HIS WIFE ELEANOR. AMBASSADOR AHN WAS A KOREAN WAR VETERAN IN THE ROK ARMY AND A POW. GENERAL KIM WAS MOST APPRECIATIVE OF OUR VETS CLUB ORGANIZATION AND OUR EFFORTS IN THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION OF THE KOREAN WAR. Photos by Rich Hill |
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| Lexington Residents - Ambassador Yong Ahn and wife, Eleanor with Mrs. Kim, General Kim and Air Force Colonel Jinho Kim. | ROK Army General Hyo-Keun Kim presents Korean wall plaque to Rich Hill, President of the Lexington Veterans Association | General Kim & Colonel Kim give the Republic of Korea Flag to LCA President Stan Barton & Vets President Rich Hill |
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| ROK Senior Officers from "Operation Enduring Freedom" in Tampa - Air Force Colonel Kim; Army General Kim; Army Colonel Kim; Army Colonel Jeong | Group Photo of Lexington Honor Guard, select Korean War Veterans & Senior ROK Officers |
VETERANS DAY CEREMONY 2002
| A
SPECTACULAR DAY WITH A SPECTACULAR EVENT AND A 300 PLUS CROWD.
THIS WAS THE INGREDIENT FOR OUR BEST EVER VETERANS DAY. NINETEEN
YEAR OLD SINGING SENSATION MICHAEL HURLEY HAD PEOPLE ON THEIR FEET
FEELING VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN. THE RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL
BAND PLAYED STIRRING MUSIC AND THE LEXINGTON VETERANS HONOR GUARD
DISPLAYED
THEIR BEST YET WITH RIFLE DRILLS AND A SHARP MILITARY LOOK. RETIRED
GENERAL JAMES DOZIER GAVE US SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT REGARDING TODAY'S
RESOLVE AGAINST TERRORISM.
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
ARMY GENERAL CHOE TALKED ABOUT THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
KOREAN WAR, WHAT IT MEANT TO THE KOREAN PEOPLE &
THE WORLD. GENERAL CHOE, ASSISTED BY COL KWON AWARDED THE
NEW KOREAN WAR MEDAL TO FIVE COMBAT VETERANS OF THE KOREAN
WAR: JAY BURGESS, DON ECKHARDT, RICHARD GEIB, PAUL
TENENBAUM & PAT VONDRA, IN HONOR OF HER
DECEASED HUSBAND, MILES. 2002 DECEASED LEXINGTON VETERANS
WERE ALSO HONORED. LATER IN THE DAY, THE HONOR GUARD, WITH MICHAEL
HURLEY & JOE BRUNO PERFORMED AT HERON HOUSE, THE NEW ASSISTED LIVING
FACILITY.
Photos by Audrey Valentine & Scott Massengill |
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| Riverdale High School Raider Marching Band - Director Gus Figeac | Korean General Choe awards Lexington Korean War Veteran Jay Burgess the ROK Korean War Medal | Retired General James Dozier was the Keynote Speaker |
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| Korean General Choe delivers a message about Freedom | Korean officers Kim, Choe & Kwon with Lex GM Al Kinkle. Seated: Linda & Milan Zimer - Ambassador Ahn & wife, Eleanor | Korean War Medal Recipients with General Choe, Jong Ho |
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| Honor Guard Rifle Squad Performing | Singer Michael Hurley performing "God Bless The USA" with his grandfather, Rich Hill at Heron House | Lexington crowd at Veterans Day |
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| An appreciative audience at Heron House | Old vet at Heron House beams with pride as Honor Guard passes by | Michael Hurley singing "God Bless The USA" |
BRIGHTEST HORIZONS FLAG DEDICATION 2002
| A couple of months ago, Joan Sims, wife of Navy Veteran Jim Sims, told the Veterans group about the need for a flagpole at the Brightest Horizons Child Development Center in Harlem Heights on Gladiolus Road. The center is a school for both pre-school kids as well as elementary youngsters from disadvantaged areas. The Executive Director, Kathleen Shaddock, is a very enlightened woman who fondly remembers her youth in the Girl Scouts and how the American Flag influenced her patriotism. The veterans and the Lexington Community raised over $800 for the flagpole installation and flag. Ms. Shaddock wish was that the children learn to respect the flag and know how to fold it properly, raise and lower it every day. On December 16th the Lexington Veterans Honor Guard held a flag dedication ceremony with the older kids participating. The youngsters were outstanding in their respect for the flag and curious to know all about the Honor Guard. Not only did they deliver the Pledge of Allegiance in English as part of the regular ceremony but later spontaneously asked to repeat it in Spanish. A touching moment for the veterans and their wives. In addition, they sang several patriotic songs. Later, with all 160 youngsters in attendance, the veterans presented small American flags and water and cookies donated by Albertson's on San Carlos Rd. A highlight was Air Force Veteran Phil Loparo and wife, Liz, presenting the kids with NFL player cards and NFL jerseys supplied by their son, who works for the National Football League. The youngsters were very gracious and appreciative of their gifts. The experience told us that these are basically very good kids whose teachers at the Center have done an excellent job teaching them solid values. Photos by Liz Loparo |
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| BH kids admire Lex Honor Guard | Exec Director Kathleen Shaddock with two of her Board Members | Henry Zemel & Rich Hill demonstrate bringing flag to half staff for students |
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| Wes Hart & Henry Zemel show students how to fold the flag while Rich Hill tells them the symbol behind each of the 12 folds | Students ask questions of Honor Guard | Informal photo of some Honor Guard members. L to R: Hill, Smith, Wymer, Davis, Giacchetti, Calvanese, Sims & Loparo |
