Montauk Marks Memorial Day
A full weekend of activities will commemorate Memorial Day in Montauk, starting on Saturday with a veteran’s fish and chips dinner at the Montauk Coast Guard Station on Star Island.
The Montauk Memorial Committee has dedicated the weekend as one of remembrance in honor of all veterans, and has worked through the winter to make the event respectful and fitting to the occasion.
Saturday night’s dinner will start at 5:30. Veterans will dine for free. Their guests are being asked for a donation of $20 per person and $14 for children 10 and under.
By Saturday morning there will be 100 American flags set up near a stone memorial on the downtown green. Several weeks ago, the memorial committee posted five flags at the site, deeply embedded in a piece of driftwood, signifying the colors of the Army, Marines, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force. When night falls, the flags will be surrounded by lighted candles.
On Sunday a parade will begin at noon, starting at the Oceanside Beach Resort, which is owned by Ken Walles, a key organizer of the event. It will head east through the downtown area, make a left into on Edison Street toward the Montauk Post Office, and circle back to the green for several presentations.
The events will continue on the green on Monday at 8 a.m. with morning colors and a half-mast raising of the American flag. There will be a solemn service, prayer, and speeches. At 12:20 p.m. the flag will be raised to full staff.
When the sun sets at about 8, taps will be played and the flag will be lowered and retrieved. A flag retirement ceremony will follow to which anyone can take torn, aging, or tattered flags for a proper burning.
