Memorial Day celebrated with style, honor on a sunny Monday

by Dan McClelland

Tupper Lake celebrated Memorial Day with both honor and style Monday under bright, sunny skies with the mercury in the high 70s.

Under the direction this year of the Adirondack Leathernecks Marine Corp League Post 1268, Terry Tubridy, commandant, welcomed the big crowd of 200 or so on Park Street that morning. “On behalf of the Marine Corp League, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the AmVets, I thank you all for being here for today’s 2023 Memorial Day ceremonies.

Air Force veteran, the Rev. Rick Wilburn, delivered the opening prayer as he has many recent observances in the veterans’ park. “Father God we thank you for the freedom you have given to us for the price that was paid so that we might live free. We remember today the cost of it all and the great sacrifices made for freedom. Bless all who are here and pray this in your Holy Name. Amen.”

His prayer was followed by the National Anthem, played by the Tupper Lake Middle/High School Band, under the direction of Laura Davison. As they have done for so many years here under Mrs. Davison’s tutelage, the band’s performance was top-shelf.

The Tupper Lake Veterans’ Honor Guard marked the anthem’s start, when the volunteers presented arms at Commander Mike Larabie’s call.

Mr. Tubridy lead the participants and spectators in “The Pledge of Allegiance.”

He next introduced that day’s guest speaker, a man who he said was a Tupper Lake native, who most of you know as your town supervisor. “I would present to you, Mr. Rick Dattola.”

Mr. Dattola gave a relatively brief, but very powerful speech, in his trademark informal manner.

“Hi folks, thanks for coming today. I want to thank the VFW and Mr. Leon LeBlanc for asking me to speak today. I’m not just honored, I’m humbled that you guys asked me to do this!”

“I told Mr. LeBlanc that I never served in the military, but my family, my uncles, my brothers, almost everyone served. I had a cousin, David, who served in the Marines. My brother in law, Tim LaBarge served as a pilot and officer in the Air Force. So I know what it is like to have people missing from certain family events- Thanksgiving, Christmas, weddings, anniversaries. I know the sacrifices that they made and they endured for us to be free!”

“My brother, Dan, who was severely wounded in Vietnam, spent two and one-half years in a body cast, so that put an awful toll on my family...my mom, my dad. Dan feels that pain every day. It’s not just his physical pain, but the ongoing mental pain servicemen and women have to deal all of their lives.

“When someone says freedom is not free, they are not kidding. It is true! Today, we’re here, to honor the people who gave their lives, who paid the price. We’re here on Memorial Day to make sure they are never forgotten.

“I always have a little spot in my heart for the men and women who are still missing in action (MIA). I always feel a special place in my heart for their families. That they have no closure. But on Memorial Day there are all of us here to say thank you for what you did for this country.”

“I look at the reason they say World War II guys and gals were ‘the greatest generation.’ They deserve that. They faced evil...true evil in Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. They not only saved our country, they saved the world. We’d be in a different place today if they hadn’t done what they did!”

“The unbelievable thing about those people is they came back home and never asked for a thing. All they did was get married, had babies and create an economy and a middle class that was the envy of the world….unbelievable!”

The supervisor said: “if there any World War II vets out there...my hat is off to you! You gave me and my family a great life, and I appreciate that!”

“Then there was Korea and Vietnam. Those veterans did the same thing. Communism raised its ugly head and they went and stopped communists from taking over other countries. When I think of the Vietnam vets, I think America has a little black stain the way we treated those vets when they returned. Again, none of those guys complained. None of them belly-ached. They went on to become lawyers, doctors and engineers and created a beautiful economy for us. The one thing that amazes me about Vietnam vets, is when we were hit by the 911 terrorists, and we had to go and fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, they stepped up to the plate and said collectively, ‘that never again will our returning soldiers be treated like that!”

“When our troops returned from those two wars they were treated with respect and dignity- as they should be. I want to thank them and the Korean vets and all those who served after 911!”

“-And I will say one thing about the VFW Post here and the people who serve in it. When we need to raise money here to build a track and a field or a baseball field, they are unbelievable” when it comes to donations of their time and financial resources. “They are outstanding when it comes to community support and service!”

“I thought our band did a great job today. I hope those young people will talk to our veterans- their grandparents, their parents, their aunts and uncles, to their neighbors.” From them, important lessons about society, and bravery and love of country can learned,” he said in conclusion.

Mr. Dattola’s talk was followed by the always rousing medley of service anthems, the official hymns of each of divisions of this nation’s military. Those pieces are always performed by the school band in stirring fashion, and this year’s performance was no different.

The laying of over a dozen wreathes by local groups and organizations was next in the ceremony and the sponsors included: the girl scouts of Tupper Lake, the 4-H Winged Eagles, Woodmen Lodge (presented by Joanne Wilber and Phil Wagschal), Tupper Lake Knights of Columbus (presented by Bob Guiney and Tom Arsenault), Tupper Lake Central School District (presented by Seniors Jamin Whitmore and Brock Fleishman), The Village of Tupper Lake (presented by Mayor Paul Maroun), The Town of Tupper Lake (presented by assistant Town Clerk Mary Kay Kucipeck), American Legion Post 220 (presented by William “Steve” Stevenson), Tupper Lake Honor Guard, Adirondack Leathernecks, detachment No. 1268 Marine Corp League (presented by Deputy Mayor Leon LeBlanc), Sunmount DDSO, AmVets Post 710 (presented by Paul Cormier), CSEA Local 431 (presented by one of its officers, Lyndon LaVallee), VFW Post 3120 (presented by Robert Vaillancourt and Dave Premo).

The Tupper Lake Veterans Honor Guard, with about six members present, then fire three rounds of volleys, as had become a tradition at Memorial Days and Veterans Days here.

“Taps,” as is also customary at services here, was played well by trumpeters Wayne Davison and his daughter Kendall- and again another stirring part of the ceremony.

The final band pieces played by the band were: “America the Beautiful” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

Retired Pastor Rick Wilburn delivered the closing prayer.

Master of Ceremonies Tubridy said the Memorial Day is set aside to honor veterans. “But we would be remiss if we did not recognize our local community members who have also sacrificed. I’m talking about our first responders, our police, firefighters, EMTs, and those who go out into the mountains here to rescue people.”