Mattituck paid homage to fallen military heroes this morning in an 8 a.m. service at the war memorial on Wickham Avenue and Pike Street.
A Mattituck High School NJROTC color guard and cadets from the unit stood in solemn formation on Pike Street as “Taps” were played before the the laying of the wreath at the monument on the green. Members of the Mattituck Fire Department assembled outside their headquarters for the service and residents lined Pike Street and Wickham Avenue to watch.
Master Sergeant LeRoy Heyliger (USAF Ret.), a 20-year veteran who served during the Korean and Vietnam wars, placed the wreath before the granite monuments.
The fire department then led a procession from the firehouse down Pike Street and up Love Lane.
Community rituals like this are especially important to teach our youth about those that came before and paid the price for our freedom, to ensure that their sacrifices are always remembered and honored, County Legislator Al Krupski said after the service concluded.
