Photo By Mark Getman | New York Guard Brig. Gen. David Warager speaks on screen during a virtual/ real world...... read more read more
Subscribe
SLEEPY HOLLOW, New York –The New York Guard’s annual salute to its World War I era members who died guarding the New York City water system was a virtual/real life hybrid on May 2, 2021, with some people participating in person and others on line.
Normally 50 or more people—to include a band and firing party-- gather in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to honor the 40 members of the New York Guard’s 1st Provisional Regiment who died of influenza and other causes while protecting the city water system from 1917 to 1919.
In 1919 a boulder from Bonticu Craig, a peak in the Shawangunk Mountains, was moved to the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in what was then known as North Tarrytown, to serve as a memorial to the 40 New York Guardsmen who died on duty; 37 of them due to influenza.
This year 22 people were onsite while 16 participated in the memorial via Zoom as a concession to COVID-19 health concerns.
Sleepy Hollow Mayor Ken G. Wray and New York Guard Brig. Gen. David Warager, the commander of the New York Guard delivered their remarks online.
The New York Guard is the state's volunteer self-defense force.
A color guard from New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police, a team from the Veteran Corps of Artillery, a historic volunteer military unit, to provide a firing party and to present a wreath were on site. Taps was played virtually.
It was the 102nd time that the volunteer state Soldiers who died while securing the water system were honored at the memorial.
Prior to the American entry into World War I, New York National Guard Soldiers were on duty guarding key infrastructure in New York from sabotage. It was not an empty threat. German agents had blown up an ammunition factory in New Jersey which was producing arms for France and Britain.
When America entered the war in April of 1917, the New National York Guard was mobilized for combat. To replace those troops New York created the New York Guard, a state only armed force.
The 1st Provisional Regiment of the New York Guard was formed and given the mission of protecting the reservoirs and aqueducts which served New York City. Other New York Guard Soldiers guarded the Erie Canal and railroads.
In his remarks, Warager noted that today members of the New York Guard are again on duty protecting New York.
The 1st Provisional Regiment was successful in protecting the water supply for New York City despite the 1918 influenza pandemic, he said. Today New York Guard members have been successful in helping to protect New Yorkers from the COVID-19 pandemic by manning testing and vaccination sites and assisting in medical logistics.
“We are fortunate that the New York Guard Soldiers today are not facing the hardships that the 1st Provisional Regiment faced 103 years ago, he said.
“This virus has not attacked the young and healthy the way the Spanish Flu did, and to date, unfortunately, we have only suffered the loss of one active member of the New York Guard and two retired members,” he added.
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 05.11.2021 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 396134 |
| Location: | SLEEPY HOLLOW, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 186 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NY Guard honors men who died protecting NYC water line in World War I, by Mark Getman, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
