WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES NOVEMBER 7, 2019 3
Queens Borough Hall set to host annual
Veterans Day Observance Ceremony
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Loretta Weiss joined the U.S.
Army at the age of 20, served from
1942-45 during World War II and
went back to serve in the Korean
and Vietnam wars — and on Thursday
she will be honored at Queens
Borough Hall.
A longtime member of Whitestone
VFW Post 4787, Weiss was
discharged as a Sergeant First Class
in 1975, having received the World
War II Victory, Army Occupation,
National Defense Service and
Good Conduct medals, among other
awards.
Weiss, who turned 100 in June,
will be honored with two other distinguished
veterans from Queens
— Sgt. James W. Sessoms, Jr., of the
United States Marine Corps, who is
a veteran of the Vietnam War, and
Staff Sgt. Raymond Ramos of the
New York Army National Guard,
who is a veteran of Operation Noble
Eagle and Operation Enduring Freedom
— during the Nov. 7 event.
More veterans call Queens home
than any other borough, and the
annual Veterans Day Observance
Ceremony will salute the more than
58,000 borough residents that have
served in the nation’s armed forces.
“Queens is endlessly grateful to the
tens of thousands of women and men
who have displayed unimaginable
courage, selflessness and sacrifice
in donning our nation’s uniform,”
Queens Borough President Melinda
Katz said. “The debt we owe our heroes
and their families can never be
properly repaid.”
The Veterans Day Observance
Ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. inside
the Helen Marshall Cultural
Center at Queens Borough Hall
in Kew Gardens. The event will
also feature keynote remarks by
Veterans Benefits Advisor Joaquin
B. Gonzalez of the New York State
Division of Veterans Services, who
will discuss the challenges faced by
veterans in the 21st century.
An indoor reception at Borough
Hall will follow the ceremony. Anyone
wishing to attend should RSVP
by visiting www.queensbp.org/
rsvp or calling 718-286-2661.
“Join us at Borough Hall as we
humbly pay tribute to those who
have bravely answered the call to
service in defense of our nation,”
Katz said.
Lifelong Astoria resident Luke Gasparre, who fought in the Battle of the
Bulge, was among the honorees at last year’s Veterans Day Observance
Ceremony at Borough Hall. Courtesy of Katz’s offi ce
all they’ve sacrificed to protect our freedom
This Veteran’s Day we honor those who have served
and who are currently serving our country.
Because we treasure peace and freedom,
thank them and show them
our appreciation.
Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. Happy Veterans Day
CONGRESSWOMAN
GRACE MENG
Paid for and authorized by Grace For New York
New York State Senator
District 15
Member of NYS Senate Committee for Veterans,
Homeland Security, and Military Affairs
District Offices:
159-53 102nd Street
Howard Beach, NY 11414
(718) 738-1111
(718) 322-5760 – FAX
66-85 73rd Place
Middle Village, N.Y. 11379
(718) 497-1630
(718) 497-1761-FAX
I want to thank
all of our Veterans
and specifically each
of the 900,000 + Veterans
who call New York home.
You Veterans are Truly
America’s heroes and
I wish you nothing but
the best this Veterans Day.
God Bless You All.
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