around the uft
Honoring thhose who served
Jan 17, 2008 1:51 PM
Posing with Miss USA are (from left) Frank Gorglione of SCTIE, Garvey of Long Island City HS, Stacie Wells, David Brown of HS for Enterprise, Business and Technology, and Fred Kapp of Van Buren HS.
The UFT Veterans Committee, led by Chair John Garvey, joined thousands of active-duty military, veterans of all eras, and grateful citizens of all heritages in New York’s annual Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11. A wreath was laid at Madison Square Park by Congressional Medal of Honor winner Paul Bucha to commemorate the sacrifices of men and women who served their country in war and peace. “People have their differences about national policy, but Americans are never divided on the issue of supporting our veterans,” Garvey said. “Unfortunately, despite all the rhetoric from Washington, the truth is that services to veterans have been severely cut in recent years. I’m proud that the UFT is, I believe, the only union that has passed a formal Delegate Assembly resolution calling for full mandatory funding so that, in President Lincoln’s words, ‘We may care for them who have borne the battle.’” UFT President Randi Weingarten stressed: “This holiday is not about dollar-savings at the mall or even simply a dignified procession. It is a time to honor people of extraordinary dedication who exemplify our unifying reverence for the cherished principles of our country.” The Veterans Day Parade traditionally includes special floats on various service-related themes like military branch, era, medals and decoration, and minority group contributions. The holiday, known from 1921 to 1954 as Armistice Day, has recently resurged as a highly visible public event.
At the wreath are (front, from left) Robert Salerni of HS for Economics and Finance, Richard Baron of MS 51 in Brooklyn, Ron Higgins and Weingarten, and (background) George Altomare, director of UFT Professional Committees.
