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ANOTHER MEMORIAL DAY
Today was another Memorial Day. I guess that I’ve seen 66 of them in
my lifetime. Of course, I don't remember the first bunch. I do recall
that by the time I was in the 6th grade, I was playing trombone in the
school marching band and every Memorial Day while I was in grade school
and then in High School, I would end up marching down Greenwich Street
in Hempstead to Greenfield Cemetery where the wreath laying and “Taps”
and the rifle salutes would take place.
Then there were four years in the Navy, but I never marched in any parades.
But in 1960, when I was hired by Newsday, I ended up with a steady diet
of Memorial Day coverage each and every year. Now, I have so much damned
seniority, that I don’t have to work this holiday any more. But, I make
double time and my soon to be ex-wife can’t get her hands on that and
maybe I can save enough money to buy that Mac G-3 that I’ve been wanting.
So, when the Photo Editor told me that I would cover the Memorial Day
Parade in Farmingdale, this morning, I wasn’t surprised. I got there early
enough to find a parking spot off the main drag so that I wouldn’t be
boxed in by paraders and fire engines. It was very warm, but not unpleasant
if you stayed on the shady side of Main Street. The parade started about
40 minutes late and by that time, the sidewalks were jammed with spectators
and the usual assortment of little kids on daddy’s shoulders, waving American
Flags. I started with them, to get that standard shot out of the way.
I try to do it differently each year, but after forty attempts, there
isn’t much different left.
| The one hook that I needed to look for was 90 year
old Jimmy McKenna. It seems that ol’ Jimmy has been involved in Memorial
Day Parades longer than I. I guess that he started when he was ten,
because my paper did a feature on him the other day, saying that he
had 80 parades under his belt, most of them with the Farmingdale Fire
Dept. The story said that because of his frail condition, he was going
to sit this one out. He didn’t. But, he did ride with the Chief in
an open convertible and received a magnificent ovation as he rolled
down Main Street waving to the crowd. Then there were the obligatory
long lens shots of the lines of fire engines coming past the spectators.
I covered the wreath laying ceremonies and the usual tributes, even
though I knew we wouldn’t use them. |
90 Year old Jimmy McKenna has marched in 80
consecutive parades, and is now a guest of honor representing the
Farmingdale Fire Dept. in today's Memorial Day Parade down Main
Street in Farmingdale.
© 1999 Newsday Photo By Dick Kraus
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Fire equipment sound their sirens as they
come down Main Street in Farmingdale in today's Memorial Day Parade.
© 1999 Newsday Photo By Dick Kraus
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When I was finished with that I called
my desk. I was asked to go to nearby Belmont Lake State Park and get
picnicers. I was told to try to get diversity. That’s the operative
word that many newspapers are using, these days. In other words, don’t
come back with just photos of white people enjoying the holiday. I’m
not sure that I subscribe to this policy. If I saw a good shot of
a non-white family enjoying the holiday, I would certainly shoot it.
But, I don’t like being told what to shoot and what not to shoot.
Suppose the best shot that expressed the holiday happened to be a
white WASP family. Am I supposed to ignore that in the name of diversity.
I don’t think that this serves whites or non-whites. Anyway, that’s
my opinion for what it’s worth. |
| So, I ranged around the park and shot some nice scenics
showing picnicers and joggers and pedal boats on the lake. I passed
up a number of white and black families enjoying themselves at the
barbecue pits and picnic benches, because I was looking for something
more than a holiday snapshot. In the distance, I saw sunlight streaming
through the trees, filtered by great amounts of smoke coming from
one of the cement barbecue pits that are scattered throughout the
park. |
Picknickers, pedestrians and pedal boats are part
of the scenary at Belmont Lake State Park on this sunny Memorial
Day.
© 1999 Newsday Photo
By Dick Kraus
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I made some long lens shots from a distance and as I moved closer,
I found a large group of Asians occupying a group of tables while
a bunch of men tended some meat sizzling on the grill.
Members of the Little Flock Korean Church in Woodside,
grill some ribs at a picnic at Belmont Lake State Park on this sunny
Memorial Day.
© 1999 Newsday Photo
By Dick Kraus
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The aroma was intoxicating and I realized that I was hungry. I
found a group of women seated at a table eating some very exotic
looking food and they were using chop sticks. It turned out that
they were from a Korean Church in Queens, and had come out to the
park by chartered bus to picnic on this very American holiday. Hey!
Is that diversity or what? No one at the table understood what I
was saying so I had to scout up someone who could translate for
me.
Smoke from many barbecues filters through the trees
at Belmont Lake State Park. This group celebrating Memorial Day
is from the Little Flock Korean Church from Woodside.
© 1999 Newsday Photo
By Dick Kraus
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| When the explanation was over, not only were they happy
to let me photograph them and to give me their names, but a plate
of grilled meat appeared before me and I was urged to partake. “Korean
spare ribs,” I was told. The meat was hot and spicy and delicious. |
Jung Mi Kim, Hye Rim Lee, Sun Ja Park, Eun Sook Yoon and Ta Sook
Baz, who were part of a group from the Little Flock Korean Church
in Woodside, enjoy a picnic at Belmont Lake State Park on this sunny
Memorial Day.
© 1999 Newsday Photo By Dick Kraus
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I remember the journal I wrote
last year about covering that Memorial Day. It rained. This year the
sun shone brightly. I met some lovely people. And I ate some great food.
Life is good.
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