Gift to help people remember the troops
HALFMOON, NY » The Yellow Ribbon lady, Carol (Pingelski) Hotaling, has presented the town with a gift she hopes will move people to remember the troops actively serving their country.
On the day after the country celebrated 242 years of independence, Hotaling presented the town with a 2018 framed photograph of her with state Sen. Kathy Marchione, R-Halfmoon, taken on the floor of the state Senate after the legislature officially proclaimed April 9 to be Yellow Ribbon Day. Joining them in the photo are a number of supporters and dignitaries.
Along with the framed piece is a copy of Marchione’s remarks made on the Senate floor that day asking that Senators’ support the resolution.
Yellow Ribbon Day has been recognized in the state annually since 2006. Hotaling must get the resolution passed by the Legislature each year to have the day recognized throughout the state.
The bill was sponsored by Marchione in the Senate and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh in the Assembly. Both Marchione and Hotaling are natives of Halfmoon. With Marchione retiring at the end of the year, this was to be the last time she would make the effort in the Senate on Hotaling’s behalf.
With the gift now in place on a wall in the town hall lobby, Hotaling is hoping people who see it will think about all the active troops the country has deployed as well as the groups and organizations that have long supported the yellow Ribbon effort.
“It’s something that’s more permanent than the yellow ribbons,” she said. “I want people to think about the men and women who are serving our country and the groups like the Gold Star Mothers, the Blue Star Mothers and the Capt. John J. McKenna IV Military Courtesy Room at the (Albany International) airport. Many people have no idea about these organizations.
In her remarks on the state Senate floor, Marchione described Hotaling as “a tireless, passionate and powerful advocate of yellow Ribbon Day, a true patriot who always puts our country – and the men and women who defend it – first”.
“We must never forget the service men and women who heroically, faithfully and courageously serve our country,” Marchione said that day. “No greater debt is owed than that owed to those who gave their lives for their beloved nation - and to those who continue to be missing in action.”
Joining Hotaling for the ceremony were Town Supervisor Kevin Tollisen and Deputy Town Supervisor Paul Hotaling, Car-
son. Also in attendance were John J. McKenna III, father of the Marine captain and New York State trooper for whom the airport courtesy room is named and Cindy Roberts, Gold Star Mothers Albany Chapter president.
McKenna and Roberts spoke about the value provided by the efforts of Hotaling and her yellow ribbons to military personnel, their families, and veterans.
“I came here to support Carol today because taking care of veterans and active duty military (personnel) is a community effort,” McKenna said. “The Yellow Ribbons go back to the song Tie a Yellow Ribbon that mentioned how we want them out of harm’s way, we want to bring them all back home. We all have different sectors of that effort. The yellow ribbons are one.”
In addition to the airport’s courtesy room, which helps military personnel who are traveling, McKenna noted other organizations that have a role include the Marine Corps League, the Tri County Council of Vietnam Veterans, and the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument.
“These are all parts of the community with each of us taking a small part of it to make sure our veterans know that their efforts and sacrifices are appreciated and welcome and that we care about them and we will never leave them. That’s the most important thing they understand, that we, as a community, will never leave them.”
Roberts said she makes the effort to attend as many of the yellow ribbon events as she can as a way to communicate with the greater community that there is an active war going on and military personnel are still in harm’s way serving their country.
“I come every year to Yellow Ribbon Day because we’re very involved in the military community and it’s not an, us or them, (active or veteran) situation,” Robert said. “We, as Gold Star Mothers want to share the information with the community. It’s one person at a time. That’s our support for them. That’s part of our mission as Gold Star Mothers that, and to take care of our fellow Gold Star Mothers as well as our veterans and our military.”