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
Presentation to SSG William R Wilson III ~ 26 Mar 2012 ~ Afgh
Personalized Flag Ceremony Honoring Military Service of
SSG William R Wilson III ~ 26 Mar 2012 ~ Afgh
Sponsored by Frontier Communications
Honor and Remember chapter Presents Memorial Flag to East Amherst Family
East Amherst, N.Y., August 24, 2014– The Honor and Remember chapter recently presented a personalized “Honor and Remember” flag to the families of SSG William R. Wilson III, which was sponsored by Frontier Communications during a ceremony at the AJ Jurek American Legion near Buffalo, NY.
SSgt Wilson was born Feb 28, 1985 & died at the age of 27 on the 26th of March, 2012, in the province of Paktica, Afghanistan from wounds of small arms fire while on his third combat tour. Upon graduating North Williamsville High School in 2003, SSgt Wilson enlisted in the United States Army in 2005. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany. Billy was a squad leader for 2nd Platoon, Company A, 2-28, and made more than 200 patrols in the mountainous district.
Billy Wilson & this flag represent all of the fallen soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice defending our Freedom. His life was marked by a willingness to put others before himself, to pursue duty over comfort, and to do what was right even when it was not convenient. At a time when old-fashioned virtues seem cliché and traditional values feel empty, his life held decency, courage, loyalty and patriotism. This flag is just one more reminder that our nation is eternally grateful, and as someone put it to me recently, we can never have enough reminders.
Today, with this flag, we Honored and Remembered Army SSgt William R. Wilson III, better known as Billy, along with his Family ~ parents Kim & Bill, younger brothers Jeremy and Wesley, Grandmother Sonya, Aunt Judy, Aunt Karen and Uncle Patrick, as well as Aunt Dawn and Uncle Bob, who lost their son, brother, grandson, & nephew.
Presentation for SGT Kenneth G. von Ronn and ET2 Christopher W. DeAngelis
Personalized Flags and Ceremony Honoring Military Service of
U.S. Navy ET2 Chris DeAngelis and Army Sgt. Ken von Ronn
Sponsored by Frontier Communications
Frontier Presents Memorial Flags to Hudson Valley Families
WALDEN, N.Y., July 17, 2014 – Frontier Communications [NASDAQ: FTR] recently presented personalized “Honor and Remember” flags to the families of U.S. Navy ET2 Christopher W. DeAngelis and Army Sgt. Kenneth G. von Ronn during a ceremony at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Walden, N.Y.
ET2 Christopher W. DeAngelis had been assigned to the U.S.S. Stark, where he was killed in action in the Persian Gulf on May 17, 1987. Sgt. Kenneth G. von Ronn had been assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division, N.Y. Army National Guard. He was killed in action in Baghdad, Iraq, on January 6, 2005.
Gold Star Parents Renate and Robert DeAngelis, Campbell Hall, N.Y. and Gold Star Mother Debbie von Ronn, Walker Valley, N.Y., and family members were joined by Frontier leadership, veteran and reservist employees, Rolling Thunder-N.Y. Chapter 3, NAM Knights Lost Chapter, and Walden Mayor Brian Maher for the memorial ceremony and flag presentations.
“We are proud to memorialize the service of both ET2 Christopher W. DeAngelis and Army Sgt. Kenneth G. von Ronn, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country,” said Debbie Bogdanski, General Manager of Frontier’s Hudson Valley area. “The Honor and Remember Flag is part of a national campaign of remembrance symbolizing gratitude and respect for those who give their lives in military service. Each flag is personalized with the respective name and date of death for Sgt. von Ronn and ET2 DeAngelis. The flags were sponsored through the efforts of our Hudson Valley Frontier employees.”
Photo group from left to right: NAM Knights Lost Chapter bearing the flag; daughters and Gold Star Mother Debbie von Ronn; Mary Lewis, Frontier; The Honorable Brian Maher, Mayor, Village of Walden, delivering remarks; Deb Bogdanski, General Manager, Frontier; Gold Star Parents Renate and Robert DeAngelis; and Rolling Thunder – N.Y. Chapter 3, bearing the flag.
Honor and Remember Flag presented in Chester, N.Y. to Family of 1St Lt. Louis Allen
7/8/2014
Frontier’s Hudson Valley New York team and NY’s Honor and Remember chapter recently presented a personalized “Honor and Remember” flag to the family of U.S. Army First Lieutenant Louis Allen, who was killed while on active duty in Iraq, on June 8, 2005. First Lieutenant Allen, of Milford, Pa., had been assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 42nd Infantry Division, New York Army National Guard, Troy, N.YGold Star Parents Vivian and Bob Allen of Chester, N.Y., and family members were joined by local leaders from Frontier Communications, community veterans and reservists, members of the Rolling Thunder — New York Chapter #3 motorcycle brigade, and the Naval Junior ROTC Honor Guard led by Cadet Lt. Commander Amanda Vasquez (daughter of Betty Vasquez, Middletown Collections Consultant), for the memorial ceremony and flag presentation.”We are proud to memorialize the service of First Lieutenant Louis Allen, who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country,” said Debbie Bogdanski, General Manager of Frontier’s Hudson Valley area. “The Honor and Remember Flag is part of a national campaign of remembrance symbolizing gratitude and respect for those who die in military service. The flag is personalized with Army 1st Lt. Allen’s name and date of death.”
Frontier’s Hudson Valley, N.Y. team recently presented the family of U.S. Army First Lt. Louis Allen with a personalized “Honor and Remember” flag in gratitude and respect for their son’s service and sacrifice to our country.
 The Naval Junior ROTC Honor Guard members were among the guests who joined in the Honor and Remember Ceremony.
 GM Debbie Bogdanski, Cadet Lt. Commander Amanda Vasquez (daughter of Betty Vasquez, Middletown Collections Consultant) of the Naval Junior ROTC Honor Guard, and Mary Lewis, Network Senior Enginee.
 The ceremony was held at the residence of the parents, Bob and Vivian Allen, in Chester, N.Y.
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Personalized flag presented to family of Army Sgt. Dennis J Hansen
| Personalized Flag Honoring Military Service of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Hansen’s Presented by Frontier’s Rochester Metro Team and Honor and Remember chapter during Annual Wounded Warrior Benefit Concert. | |
| 8/27/2014 | |
During the recent 3rd Annual Wounded Warrior Benefit Concert in the greater Rochester area, our local team presented a personalized “Honor and Remember” flag to the family of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. DenJennifer Hansennis J. Hansen, who gave his life on December 7, 2009 from wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his platoon in Afghanistan. Our local team placed a tribute in the concert program detailing Staff Sgt. Hansen’s biography and depicting a photo of him with his infant son from several years ago. General Manager Trent Bridges presented the commemorative flag to Staff Sgt. Hansen’s wife Jennifer, son Michael John and other family members, with Frontier leaders, veterans, employees and honored guests attending the ceremony. There was an insert in the program that looked the the page below. 
On stage at teh event were: (from left) Widow Jennifer Hansen with son Michael John Hansen; Trent Bridges, GM, Rochester Metro; Al Ross, Operations Manager for Air Pressure and Preventative Maintenance for Frontier’s Rochester area; various members of the Greece VFW and guests; and Ed O’Brien, Honor and Remember chapter volunteer, officer.
After recieving teh certificate: (from left): Staff Sgt. Hansen’s wife Jennifer shares a special moment with their son Michael John upon receiving the commemorative flag and plaque.
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Staff Sgt. Javier Ortiz Rivera and Army Captain Bruce K. Clark flag presentations
Rochester and Honor and Remember Present Personalized Flags Honoring Military Service of
U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Javier Ortiz Rivera and U.S. Army Capt. Bruce Clark
8/26/2014
Frontier’s Rochester, N.Y. recently presented personalized “Honor and Remember” flags to the families of U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Javier Ortiz Rivera and U.S. Army Captain Bruce K. Clark during two separate ceremonies.
Staff Sgt. Javier Ortiz Rivera (above) was killed November 16, 2010 by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He was raised in Rochester, graduated from the School of Imaging and Information Technology at Edison Tech High School, and joined the Marines in 2002. His first of several tours of duty was in Iraq in 2003. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 and again in September in 2010. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Staff Sgt. Ortiz Rivera, 26, was married with three children.
U.S. Army Captain Bruce Kevin Clark of Spencerport, N.Y., died May 1, 2012 in Afghanistan. He graduated from SUNY Brockport with a B.S. in nursing. He joined the United States Army Medical Corps
and was initially stationed at Trippler Army Medical Center at Fort Shafter in Honolulu. He completed a critical care nursing course in San Antonio, Texas and was stationed at William Beaumont Army Medical Center at Fort Bliss as a critical care nurse. Clark was deployed to Afghanistan with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force and was Chief Nurse of the Forward Surgical Element in Tarin Kowt. His awards and medals include an Army Commendation Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and an Army Service Medal. Captain Clark was married and had two daughters.
Frontier supports Honor and Remember as part of its national commitment to recognize the contributions of U.S. military veterans. Frontier has been recognized as a 2014 “Top 100” Military Friendly Employer and is an active member of Joining Forces, the 100,000 Jobs Mission, the Military Spouse Employment Program and other coalitions and initiatives that help employ veterans and reservists.
During the Javier-Ortiz Memorial 5K Race & Walk Awards Ceremony in Rochester. Corey Hewitt, General Manager, Frontier Communications (at podium), noted the symbolism of the Honor and Remember flag, presented to Gold Star Parents Orlando Rivera and Gloria Ortiz, along with Anthony Torres, Sales and Service Technician, Frontier; and Honor and Remember Chaplain, Robert Disch.
At the Spencerport Red Onions Volunteer Fire Department Drill Team Tournament, Robert Smith, General Manager, Frontier, read the Honor and Remember citation while presenting the commemorative flag to Captain Clark’s wife Susan Orellana-Clark and daughters Camille and Catherine.
Flag Presentations
We want to be sure that each loved one is respectfully recognized and honored individually by name and that each family’s sacrifice not be forgotten. Because of the importance of this campaign in educating the country in the daily remembrance of each precious life, these presentations are suggested to be made formally in a public ceremony. They are not simply shipped or mailed, so on Sat, June 14th, 2014, sponsored by Frontier Communications, Honor and Remember presented a personalized flag to the Allen family in Chester, NY.
The flag was for U.S. Army First Lieutenant Louis Allen, who was killed while on active… duty in Iraq, on June 8, 2005.
First Lieutenant Allen, of Milford, Pa., had been assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 42 Infantry Division, New York Army National Guard, Troy, N.Y
The flag was presented at noon on Saturday, June 14, to Gold Star Parents Vivian and Bob Allen of Chester, N.Y., and their family, with Frontier leadership, veteran and reservist employees, and honored guests in attendance. The presentation was made at the Allens’ home in Chester, N.Y.
Lou Allen was a science teacher at George S. Baker High School in Tuxedo.
Featuring a gold star, eternal flame and folded flag over a red background, the Honor and Remember Flag is part of a national campaign of remembrance symbolizing gratitude and respect for those who make the ultimate sacrifice in military service. The flag is personalized with Army 1 Lt. Allen’s name and date of death.
Frontier supports the Honor and Remember Flag program as part of its national commitment to recognize the contributions of U.S. military veterans. Frontier has been recognized as a 2014 “Top 100” Military Friendly Employer and is an active member of Joining Forces, the 100,000 Jobs Mission, the Military Spouse Employment Program and other coalitions and initiatives that help employ veterans and reservists.
Spartyka Fight League VI : Honor and Remember
Spartyka Event January 21, 2010, SOC Stephen M. Mills – 6 Aug 2011
