The opening ceremony kicks
off at 10 a.m. at the Eternal Light
Monument in Madison Square Park,
where the mayor, state senators,
We live in the land of the free.
military commanders, and veterans
Because of the brave.
will speak. “Promptly at 11 [a.m.],
we ring the bells and begin the
And now, we welcome you to experience
wreath-laying ceremony,” Gualtieri
complete freedom in retirement living.
explains. The ceremony concludes
The Chesapeake is located on the beautiful
with a 21-gun salute and the playing
Virginia Peninsula, surrounded by a
community and culture that thrive on
of taps.
and celebrate the tradition and service
The parade will include 10 to 15
of the Armed Forces.
fl oats and a large number of mili-
955 Harpersville Road
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will have music, and we’ll have The Chesapeake is a not-for-profit ministry of Virginia Baptist Homes.
thousands of active duty soldiers
marching as well. I’ll have injured
and elder veterans on some of the
fl oats, so they don’t have to walk.
The younger soldiers always help
the older vets — they really become
my support system.”
Gualtieri is grateful to the vet-
erans who help keep the New York
event going each year. “Without
them, our parade would probably
look like the ‘Spirit of ’76’ paint-
ing — three guys with a fi fe and a
couple of drums,” he quips. And
he’s honored to be of service to fel-
low vets. “We may set the bar pretty
high for ourselves,” he says, “But
damn it, I served, and I’m going to
make sure these veterans get the ac-
knowledgment they deserve.” MO
— Mark Cantrell is a freelance writer
based in North Carolina. His last article for
Military Offi cer was “Bridging the Gap,”
August 2009.
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