An overcast sky and steady light rain threatened to disrupt the Memorial Day Parade organized by the Brooklyn Canarsie Lions, but the marchers were not deterred. They assembled early on the morning of Monday, May 25th, on the grounds of Holy Family Church, located at 9719 Flatlands Avenue, the starting point of the annual procession and where a brief ceremony was held.
Prayers and speeches were conducted by clergy and elected officials. Rabbi Avrohom Hecht, executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Canarsie (JCCC), gave thanks for “the men and women who gave their all for the protection of American people.”
“We are here to honor the brave men and women who stood and fought on the front lines to protect us,” Lion Jean Joseph, president of the Brooklyn Canarsie Lions Club, stated, as she welcomed everyone who braved the inclement weather to come out and honor the fallen.
“A soldier does not have the option of saying the weather is bad before he could protect us, so walking today in honor of those who made the ultimate sacrifice is just something we should be grateful for doing,” State Senator Roxanne Persaud reminded everyone.
“On this Memorial Day, a very reflective and somber one, let us remember all the lives that were sacrificed for this country. Just remember, blood was shed for our freedom,” Assemblywoman Jaime Williams added.
There were also speeches by Community Board 18 District Manager Sue Ann Partnow, Millennium Development Executive Director Paul Curiale and other members of the community. Each underscored the significance of Memorial Day and reminded all that freedom is not free.
The parade was coordinated by 69th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Nicole Rostant, with the support of Officers Dukens Riche and Tanisha Mayfield (who led the parade in an NYPD vehicle), as well as a legion of auxiliary officers who marched with the crowd and also controlled traffic. There were also FDNY Color Guards, a Marching Band and over 100 members of the community.
The procession exited the Holy Family parking lot and traveled southward toward Avenue L, then westward toward Remsen Avenue. Along the way, the elected officials and Lions presented American flags to onlookers who ran out of their homes and businesses to greet the parade-goers. The marchers paused on Avenue L and East 92nd Street to pay homage to local heroes. Members of the Canarsie Lions read the heroes’ names and a poem in their honor. A moment of silence was observed, and a bugler played Taps before everyone continued to the hallowed gates of the Canarsie Cemetery.
There, more prayers were said and more tributes spoken for the fallen servicemen, but nothing told the story better than the 12 images displayed along the wrought iron fence that guards the cemetery. The portraits were sponsored by Williams, in partnership with Persaud, the 69th Precinct Community Council, Marine Park Alliance, Nick’s Lobster House, Millennium Development and the Brooklyn Canarsie Lions (see “Fallen Servicemen Honored by Assemblywoman Jaime Williams,” Canarsie Courier, May 28, 2026).
The parade was also supported by CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), Community Board 18, East Flatbush Village, E.N.O.U.G.H. and Canarsie Cemetery.
Williams read a poem written by John Bernard, a Vietnam Vet, in honor of all fallen servicemen. She spoke the names of the 12 whose portraits lined the cemetery. Many had been awarded the Purple Heart. Some were interred at the Canarsie Cemetery. Some never made it back. A red, white and blue wreath was placed next to the portrait of Army Sgt. Roshain E. Brooks, a paratrooper who was killed in Iraq. Brooks, who was awarded a Purple Heart and other medals of valor, posthumously, also had a street in Canarsie co-named in his honor.
The bugler tapped another mournful note as the procession departed from the cemetery and continued to the American Legion Memorial Hall, located at 1130 East 92nd Street, the final stop of the Memorial Day march.
The event culminated with the hoisting of the American flag, more spoken tributes and performance of other solemn rites.
