Westchester Honors Veterans at Playland Tribute

A large crowd at Rye Playland gathered Sunday afternoon for Westchester County's sixth-annual Veterans Appreciation Day and Memorial Day Tribute, an occasion for the county to thanks its residents who served the United States.

“No words, no symbolic gestures, can compensate those who paid for America's freedom with their lives,” said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who delivered an address. “But as Americans, we must never take for granted the freedoms they fought for and that many of our soldiers died for.”

Astorino also implored people to respect and honor veterans, and encouraged younger people to learn more about history and volunteer.

The tribute included taps, a prayer along with renditions of the songs “God Bless America” and “God Bless the USA.”

The tribute, held with sunny and windy weather, was followed by a barbeque, which was sponsored by the Generoso Pope Foundation and Fordham University. Teens from Rye High School provided a chorus for the songs, while students from Byram Hills High School in Armonk and the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, and the young Marines also provided volunteer work.

Vito Pinto, a Tuckahoe resident who served in the Navy, is director for the county's Veterans Service Agency, talked with reporters after the tribute and discussed the tribute.

Pinto said, “You know, everybody's used to the three R's being reading, writing and arithmetic. I use the three R's as being remember, respect and reflect.”

For Pinto, remembering is for those who gave their lives in battle, respect is for the decision they made and for their families, and to reflect means reflecting upon “that they gave their tomorrow so we can enjoy our today.”

Turnout has grown steadily over the years, according to Pinto, and there were more than 1,000 people who registered in advance.

Video of the tribute is attached for taps and for a portion of Astorino's address. Photos of the day can be found here.