NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Ahead of Veterans Day, a group of women who serve our country were honored Tuesday at a special ceremony in Central Park.
The event took place at a flagpole and grove of trees near 69th Street and Fifth Avenue. The trees were planted 97 years ago as a tribute to American women who served during World War I, CBS2’s Natalie Duddridge reported.
Kathy Hochul, New York’s first female governor, accepted a “Women in Service” award, but said the real heroes are the brave military women like Loree Sutton, the former commissioner for the city’s Department of Veterans Services.
“You know, I was so blessed to serve for nearly 30 years in the United States Army,” Sutton said.
Ahead of Veteran’s Day, a group of women (including @GovKathyHochul) are being honored at a ceremony in Central Park at a special location. This grove of trees near 5th Ave & 69th St was planted in 1925 as a tribute to American women who served in World War I @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/QJB6YxfGVi
— Natalie Duddridge (@NatDuddridgeTV) November 9, 2021
Dottie Brier, a 92-year-old retired social worker, also received an award for her service the last 30 years, which includes volunteering to help people cope with trauma after a disaster, like 9/11, Superstorm Sandy, and the Oklahoma City bombing.
“I think it’s wonderful that women have accomplished so much. It’s so different from my childhood. Although I must say, as a child in the second World War, I did work for Red Cross,” Brier said.
Women who served in World Wars I and II were remembered for their role in the war effort.
“Women are used to being the caretakers and the men were off fighting the war, and women were behind the scenes serving as nurses,” Assembly member Rebecca Seawright said. “We now see a woman vice president and a woman governor of the state of New York. And so we want to continue to honor those forgotten women from the early 1920s that dedicated their lives to service.”
In 1925, a memorial grove of 26 trees and a flagstaff were conceptualized in Central Park as a tribute to American women who died overseas. The memorial had been forgotten about, until it was rediscovered three years ago.
The 102nd annual Veterans Day Parade begins at noon on Thursday at Madison Square Park and will march up Fifth Avenue to around 40th Street.
from CBS New York https://ift.tt/2Izr88c
