“This crowd grows bigger and bigger each year as we ‘remember, honor and teach,’” said Mark Cozzipoli, director of the Ulster County Veteran Services Agency last Saturday at the New Paltz Rural Cemetery, just before calling for a moment of silence in honor of the war veterans buried there. His words echoed the mission of Wreaths across America, a national organization dedicated since 1992 to ensuring that once a year, a balsam wreath tied with a red velvet bow is placed on the grave of every deceased military veteran interred across the entire land. Ideally, these wreath-laying ceremonies occur all on the same day, which fell this year on December 17 and involved more than 3,700 locations including New Paltz and Tillson, according to Cozzipoli.
New Paltz began participating in the Wreaths across America project in 2019, spurred by Geraldine Moloney, the daughter of a Vietnam veteran. The annual campaign to raise funds for the wreaths is currently organized by Cindy Dates, her daughter Tara and Ron and Kathy Mironchik of Brannen-van den Berg Post 8645 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in New Paltz. Research recently updated by Carol Johnson of the Haviland-Heidgerd Historical Collection at the Elting Memorial Library indicates that the New Paltz Rural Cemetery (NPRC) contains the burial sites of at least 976 war veterans, including 330 in the specified Ulster County Veterans’ Ceremony section. “We met our goal,” Cindy Dates told HV1 after the ceremony concluded: A wreath had been funded for every one of these gravesites.
After the Ulster County Law Enforcement Honor Guard bore their flags into position and Cozzipoli made introductory remarks to a respectful crowd of 200 or more onlookers, Fr. Salvatore Cordaro, OFM, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, offered a prayer asking for blessings on the wreaths and “the people who place them,” subtly reminding those in attendance that such rituals are most meaningful to the living who have lost someone dear to them in wartime. Cozzipoli echoed this sentiment at the very end of the ceremony, noting, “We are not here to mark their deaths, but to celebrate their lives.”
“This nation has always been the first to stand up for the freedom of people from around the world,” Cozzipoli said, before introducing a local veteran of the Iraq conflict who now serves in the US Congress: Pat Ryan, representative of the 19th District on the day of the event and soon-to-be representative for the reconfigured 18th District.
“This is making me feel a little bit better about what seems like a crazy world,” Ryan said, cradling his three-year-old son Theo in his arms as he gazed out over the gathered crowd. “We’re teaching them that there’s something bigger.” He praised veterans’ “willingness to step up and serve,” noting, “That’s what community is about.” Michelle Hinchey was also on hand, representing the New York State Senate, but did not give a speech.
Next up was Chris Nadareski, a local volunteer who serves as liaison between the local Wreaths across America campaign and Rip Van Winkle Boy Scout Troop 172 and Cub Scout Troop 272. These youngsters, along with Heart of the Hudson Girl Scout Troop 60142, do the actual laying of the wreaths on the hundreds of veterans’ graves during the ceremony.
But first, Nadareski had another task to perform: to release a young red-tailed hawk that had been rehabilitated after being found injured by a collision with an aircraft at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Ensuring that such birds are cared for until they are ready to be banded and returned to the wild is part of Nadareski’s job at the New York City Department of Environmental Preservation. “I work a lot with endangered species,” he later explained, “but I’m here today as a volunteer.”
The crowd counted down “3-2-1” as Nadareski slipped off the hawk’s jesses and let it loose, calling, “May our veterans always fly free!” Watching the now-healthy raptor flap its way into the air, circle the Cemetery and then disappear toward the horizon was easily the peak moment of the day’s ceremonies.
Then the actual wreath-laying commenced with a presentation of arms by the Honor Guard and a rifle salute. Families of veterans of the US Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and Space Force all stepped up to lay wreaths at the monuments to the various forces, as well as representatives of service members listed as POW/MIA and of Gold Star families. Cozzipoli urged the volunteers to “Say that veteran’s name out loud” each time they set a wreath in its proper place. “Thank them. It is a small thing, but it will go a long way.” A trumpeter played “Taps” as the solemn ceremony continued, until all 976 of the fallen had been suitably honored.
To learn more about the Wreaths across America program or become a volunteer, visit https://wreathsacrossamerica.org.
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