Personalized flag presented to family of Sgt. Frank J. World

 

West Seneca’s Walkway of Freedom was filled with men and women in military attire on Tuesday for the town’s 42nd annual Veterans Day ceremony.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gina Marie Pizziconi-Cupples served as the guest speaker for the event, which was held at the Walkway of Freedom near the town library.

“West Seneca should be a model for all communities in how they celebrate this day,” she said. “There is absolutely no doubt that it is due to the enthusiasm, the grit, the endurance of the town leadership and the active members of this American Legion post,” she said, referring to Post 735.

Pizziconi-Cupples said she remembers the faces of those she met in West Seneca two years ago and the warm feeling she found in the town’s welcome.

Karen Wright, director of the New York Chapter of Honor and Remember, reads a presentation on Tuesday to the family of Marine Sgt. Frank World, who died on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2010. The family was presented with the Honor and Remember flag in a special ceremony that recognized the sergeant’s sacrifice. “That’s one of the greatest things about being in the military. It’s the stories of the people that you’ve met, the places that you’ve been, the food you’ve had, or maybe wish you had,” she laughed. “It’s those stories that as younger generations hear them may actually inspire them to also serve in the military.”

Pizziconi-Cupples said her father’s stories from his time serving in Vietnam was what inspired her to join the service and enlist just days after Sept. 11.

Town Supervisor Sheila Meegan raises hands with James Manley, chairman of the West Seneca Veterans Committee, thanking him for his work in honoring local veterans during the annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Tuesday. She said Veterans Day offers a great opportunity to reflect and reminisce about those who are still here and those who have been lost.

Tuesday’s event honored those who have served in the armed forces but also remembered the fallen, including Marine Sgt. Frank World.

 In a special ceremony, Beth World, the sergeant’s widow, was presented an Honor and Remember flag, the national symbol of public remembrance, by Karen Wright, director of the New York State chapter of Honor and Remember.

“The flag pays tribute to all service members who have lost their life as a result of serving, and the families they left behind,” Wright said.

She explained the symbolism found in the flag — the red field symbolizing the sacrifice of bloodshed and the white field below, the purity of that sacrifice.

The blue star in the center dates back to World War I when military families hung a solid blue star, representing a loved one on active duty. The gold star overlaying the blue signified that the loved one had been killed.

The folded flag beneath the star represents the flag that is handed to each family at the memorial service of a loved one. The flames above are an eternal reminder that the country will never forget.

“Marine Sgt. Frank J. World, of Tonawanda, New York, was killed on April 1, 2010,” Wright said. “He tragically lost his life while serving overseas in Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. World was killed in the Province of Helmand when his light-armor vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device during a combat mission.

“Frank J. World represents all of the fallen soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice — defending our freedom,” she said.

Wright explained that the Honor and Remember flag is presented to families as the U.S. flag is presented, in a tri-fold, meant to be displayed in a shadow box as a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice for one’s country.

“The Honor and Remember flag, however, was created to respectfully say thank you and is meant to mirror the folded U.S. flag, be unfolded and proudly flown or displayed,” Wright said.

Also during the Veterans Day event, Town Supervisor Sheila Meegan pointed out the significance of the Walkway of Freedom to the community of veterans in the town.

“The town has taken great pride in this Walkway of Freedom,” she said.

Meegan said when American Legion Post 735 and the town looked at renaming Centennial Park, as the space was previously known, to Veterans Memorial Park, it was important to acknowledge the hard work of all veterans who have served and continue to serve.

The supervisor said one resident in particular understands the importance of honoring veterans.

“This is a certificate of merit to a man who I’m sure everyone here knows, and if you don’t, do yourself a favor and get to know him. His name is James Manley,” Meegan said. “I’d like to thank you for your continued service and dedication to the West Seneca Veterans Committee.”

In addition to chairing the Veterans Committee, Manley is responsible for overseeing the Walkway of Freedom and was the creative force behind the new learning stations that illustrate nine major wars and conflicts in which the U.S. has been involved. He also created a database of World War II soldiers who at some point were residents of West Seneca.

Lining the walkway are engraved bricks listing veterans who have served the United States, an homage to the country’s freedom.

“As the mother of a veteran and the daughter of a veteran, I again say thank you and God bless America,” Meegan said.

by Jennifer Waters – editor of  West Seneca Bee