SULLIVAN COUNTY – Memorial Day services and parades were held throughout Sullivan County on Monday, May 25. 

Fremont Center

Some traditions are measured not in milestones, but in the simple act of showing up, year after year.

The Fremont Center Memorial Day Parade is one of them. This year marked the 142nd consecutive parade through the western Sullivan County hamlet, a distinction that makes it the second oldest continuous Memorial Day parade in New York State.

That history stretches all the way back to the Grand Army of the Republic, the fraternal organization of Union veterans who organized that very first march to honor those who had served in the Civil War, including John Fremont, the general for whom Fremont Center itself is named. More than a century later, the community is still showing up.

This year’s parade honored Gerald Mudge—Skip, to everyone who knew him. Mudge served 10 years in the Air Force before retiring in 1962, then answered the call again in 1978, signing on with the Army Reserves and serving until 1990. 

Among the most affecting moments of the day came courtesy of John Dworetsky, a college sophomore at SUNY Binghamton who showed up with his trumpet and played Taps before leaving for a semester abroad. 

The Sullivan West graduate has made a quiet habit of this kind of service. His grandfather, Walter Podbielski, served in the Marines during the Korean War, and Dworetsky has dedicated his musical talents to honoring veterans at ceremonies like the one that opened this year’s parade. 

The notes he played over Fremont Center echoed the stories of his grandfather, of Mudge, and of every veteran this hamlet has gathered to remember year after year.

Grahamsville

An air of tribute and remembrance took hold at the Grahamsville Rural Cemetery Monday as veterans, scouts, law enforcement officers and residents gathered for the annual Flag Exchange Ceremony honoring Vietnam Army Veteran and Purple Heart recipient James K. Richardson. The ceremony, taking place at the cemetery’s flagpole, saw participation from Boy Scout Troop 97, local veterans, and members of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s office. Opening the ceremony was Pastor Harriet Wilkin of the Grahamsville Methodist Church giving an invocation and veteran’s prayer to remember fallen service members, wounded veterans, and military families.

Giving remarks to the attendees, James’ son Kenneth Richardson looked back on his dad’s military career and personal life. James’ service with the United States Army began in 1962 with his enlistment following his graduation from Liberty Central School. He later went on to serve duty in Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. As he served with Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry, 199th Brigade in Vietnam, Richardson was injured by a landmine on March 27, 1968, which earned him the Purple Heart alongside many more military honors and commendations. Sharing a personal memory, Kenneth recounted how James once joked about enlisting into the army “on a dare” from his own father.

“He went in a boy, but he came out a man,” Richardson recounted in a poignant moment. “He raised a good family, and I miss him.”

After additional prayers honoring veterans and their families, the formal flag exchange ceremony was conducted where the flag honoring all veterans was lowered and a new flag dedicated to James Richardson was raised in its place. Wilkin concluded the ceremony with a benediction that advocated for further remembrance and support for veterans and military families. Organizers later led attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance after realizing it had accidentally been omitted earlier in the ceremony, acknowledging that Richardson himself would have wanted it included.

Long Eddy

The Allan Milk Memorial Post No. 7276 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars honored fallen soldiers in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Long Eddy on Memorial Day with a solemn and well-attended service. Proceedings were led by Post Commander Dr. Lauren Roman and included brief speeches, wreath laying, a Taps performance, and a three-volley salute.

“Today we gather here with gratitude and remembrance,” proclaimed Roman. “Memorial Day is not simply the start of summer or a long weekend, it’s a sacred day set aside to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. As we stand among these flags and these graves, we are reminded that freedom is never free… God bless our fallen heroes, our veterans, and the United States of America.” 

Sr. Vice Commander Bruce Pesci paid tribute to his fellow soldiers who died fighting for our country: “We are assembled once again to express sincere reverence. This grave represents the resting places of many departed comrades who served in all wars.”

The Allan Milk Memorial VFW was founded in 1967 to honor the memory of U.S. Army infantryman Allan Milk, a Long Eddy native who was killed during the Vietnam War in 1966.