Nassau County will mark Memorial Day with sirens at Mineola's Fire Department on Monday, part of a countywide moment of remembrance that will sound twice, for 50 seconds each, at noon and 6 p.m. The ringing of all Diocese of Rockville Centre church bells will accompany the blasts.
Bruce Blakeman announced the plan Friday at a firehouse in Mineola, where about two dozen people gathered to hear the county's fifth consecutive year of honoring the holiday this way. Among them was Vietnam War veteran Luke Magliaro, who said Memorial Day is a day to honor and reflect on the sacrifices of people who came before us in every war fought for the country.
“We would not be having this conversation today if it were not for those who fought for this country and more importantly for those who have given their lives — the supreme sacrifice — so that we could be here,” Magliaro said.
The sirens are meant to do more than mark the hour. Michael Uttaro said the 50-second blasts are designed to make residents pause and remember why the long weekend exists, even as barbecues, hamburgers, hot dogs and beers fill backyards across the county. He said the duration stands for the 50 states, and called the gesture “a nice touch.”
The county event is tied directly to Memorial Day and is meant to honor members of the U.S. military who died in service to the country. That makes Monday's observance a public reminder in real time, not a historical marker tucked into the calendar. In Nassau County, the remembrance will arrive at noon and again at 6 p.m., with church bells and sirens carrying the message at the same moment.
For residents searching for a memorial day parade near me, the county's observance offers a quieter answer: not a procession of floats, but a coordinated pause. And the question it answers is the one Magliaro put plainly at the firehouse — why the holiday exists at all. Nassau County is asking people to stop, listen and remember the cost behind the weekend.
