Norfolk veterans honored at American Legion

Mike Gagliardi, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read

Nov. 12—NORFOLK — At precisely 11:11 a.m. Thursday morning, a crowd gathered at the American Legion in Norfolk with veterans of World War II and the Korean War for a 21-gun salute in honor of their service for Veterans Day.

The salute was followed by a celebration inside Legion Post 925, which centered around World War II and Korean War veteran Harold Emlaw, now 96 years old. Other Korean War veterans from Norfolk were present and honored as well, including William Kovach, Patrick Welsh, Francis Wolfe and Ronald Bombard.

Theresa Dumas, chief curator and historian at the Norfolk Museum, presented the veterans with flowers: red gladiolus to symbolize heroism; yellow roses to symbolize appreciation for service; and white carnations to symbolize courage. The men were each given Korean War pins as well.

"It really takes my heart because we need to do this to honor these individuals," Ms. Dumas said. "Because of what happened in the past, we need to say thank you."

"With everything going on in the world today, we need to honor our veterans," she added.

After she finished presenting the veterans with flowers and pins, a bugler played "Taps," known as the national song of remembrance.

Veteran Stephen Markum spoke in praise of the veterans being honored.

"I'd like to begin with sharing a personal opinion of mine: I believe that living in America does not make you an American ... What truly constitutes being an American takes a certain level of encouragement and awareness," Mr. Markum said. "Our veterans have given and sacrificed so much to give us what we have today, and I believe that you should give some conscious effort to remember and appreciate them in order to call yourself an American."

Thomas Morrison, director of the Legion Riders, said Korean War veterans "have often been overlooked."

"For many, the Korean War is referred to as the Forgotten War, and many veterans returned to the United States without fanfare or parades," Mr. Morrison said. "I wish to relay to you, on behalf of a grateful nation, a heartfelt thank you."