Outline for Veterans Day Ceremony 2025
1. Master of Ceremonies – Frank Pedagno
2. Invocation (opening prayer) – James W. O’Neill
3. National Anthem – Carol O’Shea (Cantor at Cure of Ars Church)
4. Pledge of Allegiance – A Scout from Boy Scout Troop 123
5. Introduction of Commander – Robert E. Dishman
6. Introduction by Auxiliary member: Auxiliary President Laura Lahood
7. The Ringing of Bell Ritual – Ken Braun will announce this ritual
8. Bell ringer – Lawrence Levy
9. Taps – Bob Chavanne
10. Politicians and Dignitaries speak.
11. VFW speaks.
12. Benediction (closing prayer) – James W. O’Neill
13. God Bless America – Carol O’Shea (Cantor at Cure of Ars Church)
14. Ceremony Concludes.
No commentsVeterans Day Ceremony 2025
Merrick Post No. 1282, American Legion is planning to have their Veterans Day ceremony on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at the Merrick's Veteran Memorial Park starting at 10:30 a.m. Merrick's Veteran Memorial Park is located at the corner of Merrick Avenue and Lee Avenue, which is across the street from the Camp Avenue Elementary School. Post and Auxiliary members should gather at the park starting at 10:00 a.m. If possible, please bring your own chairs to the ceremony. Thank you.
Island Park Veterans Village (Tunnel to Towers) 2025
According to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, it has committed to providing long-term supportive housing to our struggling veterans nationwide. Over 35,000 veterans nationwide currently struggle with housing and access to supportive services.
Simply providing housing to veterans is not enough to make a substantial difference in these individual’s lives. In order to effectively rehabilitate and reintegrate our veterans back into society, we must also provide a platform where they have ready access to a wide range of needed services, geared towards diagnosing and solving root causes, and addressing their specific emotional, financial, and physical issues.
On August 20,2025, all the Nassau County Posts of the American Legion plus other organizations were all asked to attend a hearing to help support Tunnel to Towers so that they could build a housing village in the town of Island Park, New York. They had to have the building zoning board’s approval before they could build this project. The meeting was held at the old Town Hall on Front Street, Hempstead, New York, at 2PM. The site in Island Park was the Long Beach Motor Inn, in Island Park.
Read more: Island Park Veterans Village (Tunnel to Towers) 2025
Calhoun Awards Night 2025
Tonight, I presented two awards on behalf of the Merrick Post 1282, American Legion, at Calhoun High School. The Americanism Award went to Taylor Halvorsen and the Phil Williams, a scholarship was awarded to Brian Hammond. I stayed to watch some of the other awards and noted that all of the young men who we sponsored to Boys State in 2024 received awards.
Frank D. Pedagno, Second Vice Commander