On Monday, November 18, 2019 at 1100 hours, a Plaque Dedication will be held honoring the memory of Firefighter James J. Hurson, E-318, who died on May 22, 2018. The dedication will take place in the quarters of Engine 318 & Ladder 166, 2510 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn, NY.
All off-duty members and their families are invited to attend. Members are requested to attend in dress uniform.
AURA PREP CLASS FOR EXTRA POINTSAUR
A Prep will be holding a HazMat – CEVO IV – AHA BLCS class at Fordham University in the Bronx. The class is two days, November 23 – November 24 at 8:00 AM. Candidates wishing to apply to become FDNY EMTs will receive 10-15 additional points on their application/exam. This course will meet the requirements listed in the DCAS Notice of Examination.
Register at www.auraprep.com/HazMat.
LAUGHTER SAVES LIVES
Laughter Saves Lives’ 5th Annual Virginia Larocchia “Almost Gala” will be held on Saturday, November 23, at 6:30 PM at Howard-Lathrop VFW Post #2307, 235 Merrick Road, Lynbrook, NY.
General admission tickets are $75. There will be dinner, excellent raffle items, entertainment by several jokesters, and recognition of Caryn Pfeifer and Jennifer McNamara, widows of two 9/11 activist Responders who died due to 9/11 related illness. The event is hosted by President of LSL and retired FDNY John Larocchia, and supports the mission of Laughter Saves Lives: producing comedy shows that benefit first responders and veterans. All shows are done in memory of first responders lost on 9/11 and because of 9/11.
Tickets and more information available at www.laughtersaveslives.org.
OPERATION SANTA: THE COMMUNITY MAYORS 2019
The Community Mayors for Special Children is calling all volunteers for Operation Santa Claus on Wednesday, December 11, and Tuesday, Setup Day, December 10. Volunteers must register, and should plan to arrive both days by 8:00 AM. Registration deadline is December 4. Register at: https://forms.gle/VjyY46iD5qwtat5b6. It will take place at JFK Hanger #19 (next to Tower Air). Kindly wear something FDNY.
For more info contact Tom Martin 914-924-8077 or go www.communitymayors.org.
ANNUAL CITY HARVEST CANNED FOOD DRIVE
A reminder to members that the Fire Department is once again participating in the Annual City Harvest Canned Food Campaign. The drive is open and runs until January 17, 2020. Last year, New Yorkers donated over one million pounds of food to help feed the homeless, the elderly and the working poor. All Firehouses and EMS Stations have been designated as collection points for the public who wish to donate canned food.
Grand Marshal and Irish political leader Brian O’Dwyer, New York State Ancient Order of Hibernians President Tom Lambert, entertainer and organizer of many charitable benefits Sean Ruane, and Bronx Hibernian “Man of the Year” Bob Nolan, will be honored by Bronx County AOH on Sunday November 24th at Rory Dolans.
This year’s event will include a special remembrance of Liam Ryan, the Tyrone born former Bronx resident and American citizen, marking the 30th anniversary of his murder by British forces. Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice, will be traveling from Belfast to speak.
In announcing the honorees, Bronx AOH County President Martin Galvin noted:
“ Brian O’Dwyer is being honored for the leadership he has given Irish America on an array of issues including immigration or justice and freedom for the north of Ireland. Just one example of his contributions, is the nearby Emerald Isle Immigration Center, which has benefitted so many.
“Tom Lambert is being honored as President of New York State Hibernians, and the leading figure in the state with the largest membership in the nation’s largest and most influential Irish American organization. He has made Freedom for all Ireland the priority issue for his presidency.
“ Sean Ruane is a popular entertainer, music promoter and well known community activist, who is being honored for outstanding charitable work in organizing benefits .
“Bob Nolan, past Bronx County AOH President and current District Director was named the Bronx Hibernian of the Year.
“Liam Ryan, will be remembered as a Tyrone immigrant, American citizen, Con Ed worker, respected as a patriot in the Bronx Irish community. After returning to Tyrone, he was murdered by off-duty members of the British Army Ulster Defense Regiment on November 29,1989”.
The AOH is the largest Irish-American organization and is committed to Freedom-for-all-Ireland, Immigration reform and the promotion of Irish culture, arts and history.
The event will take place on Sunday November 24th from 3pm to 7pm at Rory Dolan’s, located at 890 McLean Avenue, Yonkers.
AOH HONORS O’DWYER-LAMBERT-RUANE-NOLAN
Grand Marshal and Irish political leader Brian O’Dwyer, New York State Ancient Order of Hibernians President Tom Lambert, entertainer and organizer of many charitable benefits Sean Ruane, and Bronx Hibernian “Man of the Year” Bob Nolan, will be honored by Bronx County AOH on Sunday November 24th at Rory Dolans.
This year’s event will include a special remembrance of Liam Ryan, the Tyrone born former Bronx resident and American citizen, marking the 30th anniversary of his murder by British forces. Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice, will be traveling from Belfast to speak.
In announcing the honorees, Bronx AOH County President Martin Galvin noted: “ Brian O’Dwyer is being honored for the leadership he has given Irish America on an array of issues including immigration or justice and freedom for the north of Ireland. Just one example of his contributions, is the nearby Emerald Isle Immigration Center, which has benefitted so many. “Tom Lambert is being honored as President of New York State Hibernians, and the leading figure in the state with the largest membership in the nation’s largest and most influential Irish American organization. He has made Freedom for all Ireland the priority issue for his presidency.
“ Sean Ruane is a popular entertainer, music promoter and well known community activist, who is being honored for outstanding charitable work in organizing benefits . “Bob Nolan, past Bronx County AOH President and current District Director was named the Bronx Hibernian of the Year.
“Liam Ryan, will be remembered as a Tyrone immigrant, American citizen, Con Ed worker, respected as a patriot in the Bronx Irish community. After returning to Tyrone, he was murdered by off-duty members of the British Army Ulster Defense Regiment on November 29,1989”.
The AOH is the largest Irish-American organization and is committed to Freedom-for-all-Ireland, Immigration reform and the promotion of Irish culture, arts and history. The event will take place on Sunday November 24th from 3pm to 7pm at Rory Dolan’s, located at 890 McLean Avenue, Yonkers. Music will provided by the Kitty Kelly Band.
Dinner Tickets are $85 and Reservations are highly recommended. For tickets or information about congratulating the honorees in the souvenir journal please call 347-880-1403 or email nolanbxbp@hotmail.com.
Music will provided by the Kitty Kelly Band. Dinner Tickets are $85 and Reservations are highly recommended.
For tickets or information about congratulating the honorees in the souvenir journal please call 347-880-1403 or email nolanbxbp@hotmail.com.
WTC Retired Lieutenant Richard G. Estreicher Engine Company 248 WAKE Friday, November 15, 2019 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Colonial Funeral Home 2819 Hylan Boulevard Staten Island, NY 10306
FUNERAL Saturday, November 16, 2019 10:30 AM St. Clare’s Church 110 Nelson Avenue Staten Island, NY 10308
All Off-Duty Members should attend in Class A Uniform.
I spent years as a Solo Mom while my soldier husband was deployed. Lord knows I have created a career of writing about the unique challenges and sacrifices of military families during wartime. But Veterans Day isn’t about me or other military spouses. It’s not about our children, either. Military spouses are told that they serve, too, which has an element of truth to it depending on the definition of service. The military is part of our identity, but we are not veterans. So on Veterans Day, please don’t say to a spouse, “Thank you for your service. You serve, too.” Today is about all living Americans who have worn the uniform, past and present. This is their day.
For me, Veterans Day gains meaning year after year. After 31 years in uniform, my husband took off his army combat uniform for the last time. I was thankful to be visiting my parents when that day arrived, so I didn’t have to listen to his boots cross our floors and hear the familiar ripping sound of the Velcro on his uniform. That very same Velcro I cursed in my laundry every single week. We were both overwhelmed with emotion surrounding his army retirement, so we pretended it was just a regular day. That uniform represents three generations of service in my family: both of my grandfathers served in World War II, my father and father-in-law fought in Vietnam, and my father continued to serve through the Cold War and into the mid-1990s. But even out of the uniform, you can spot a veteran. Once a soldier, always a soldier.
Honoring the day
For military spouses and spouses of veterans, every day is Veterans Day—especially for widows, widowers, and those dealing with the stress of deployment. We are entrenched and surrounded by daily reminders of service to our nation and the sacrifices of our military. An appreciation for veterans is the foundation of our lives, and no one needs to remind us to show gratitude on this one day. We hold a tangible appreciation for veterans that many Americans do not, and that’s not their fault. When less than 1% of Americans serve in the military, it’s easy to view the day as another holiday off work or a holiday sale, a thinly veiled marketing campaign to boost the retail market.
Many Americans also have hazy idea of what the holiday means. Veterans Day is not Memorial Day: Veterans Day honors the service of the living, both current service members and veterans; Memorial Day began as a day to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, but it has evolved into a day of remembrance for all deceased veterans, not only those killed in action. There are full-fledged solo parents who lost their spouses in a war, and acknowledging their sacrifice on Veterans Day is more than appropriate; but it’s not necessarily proper to thank a living veteran on Memorial Day.
In many ways, Veterans Day is simply about mindfulness and stopping to show gratitude to the hearts of our nation’s warriors. Our Vietnam veterans didn’t feel the surge of national support they deserved, and I’m proud that Americans have made up for that gross mistake with this generation of military. Although, with a war that has dragged on for nearly two decades, the burst of patriotism has gradually waned. Much of our nation has become numb and almost apathetic to the veterans’ experience. What happened to that surge of patriotism toward our troops after 9/11?
Maybe it’s every American’s duty to turn those thank-yous into tangible action. Instead of thanking a vet, why not become an active advocate for veterans? Thanking veterans for their service has become like a knee-jerk “bless you” to a sneeze. Instead, ask veterans to tell you about what they did or where they served. Just listen. Don’t one-up them with a story about your cousin who served. Give them your full attention. Ask them what their challenges are, but don’t press for details. Every single day veterans battle the Department of Veterans Affairs system and deal with cuts in benefits, unemployment, and even homelessness. But that doesn’t mean that all veterans are broken and in need of free meals (thank you, Golden Corral, aka, The Feeding Trough); in actuality, most veterans are quite able and self-sufficient.
Each veteran is unique and has a story to tell. Each generation of veterans has a place of honor in our nation’s history. Veterans Day isn’t about my journey; it’s about the journey of my husband, my father, my grandfathers, and every American who has worn that uniform in service of the United States of America.
Angela Ricketts is ESME’s Veterans’ Assistance/Military Families Resource Guide and the author of the memoir No Man’s War: Irreverent Confessions of an Infantry Wife. Daughter and wife of career infantrymen, she has a master’s degree in social psychology. You can follow her on Twitter at @angricketts and Facebook at Angie Ricketts
