NEWSLETTER
Long Lake, N.Y. – The Long Lake American Legion Post #650 will be hosting the Long Lake Memorial Day Parade and the Hamilton County Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 29th in Long Lake, NY. The American Legion ceremonies begin at 11:30am with a dedication at the Long Lake Bridge followed by the Town Parade at noon.
The Hamilton County Parade will be at 2:15pm from Mt. Sabattis Recreation Area to to Long Lake Central School front lawn. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be held in the Long Lake Town Hall. Expect traffic delays as the parades move through the community.
The guest speaker for both ceremonies is Colonel Donald M. Boone of the 109th Airlift Wing Civil Engineer as well as 109th Airlift Wing Support Group Commander.
Colonel Boone graduated from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry at Syracuse University in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant through the Air Force ROTC program and reported for duty at Langley Air Force Base, VA in August 1967 as an Architectural Engineer.
In 1969, Col Boone deployed to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base and DaNang Air Base, Republic of Vietnam with the 555th RED HORSE Squadron.
Col Boone returned to the US in 1970, serving with the 819th RED HORSE Squadron at Westover Air Force Base, Chicopee, MA, supervising heavy construction projects at home station and several detachments at various Air Force bases in the US. He separated from the Air Force in August 1971 and pursued a civilian career with Texaco, Inc and a Saratoga County engineering firm.
In 1980 Col Boone joined the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing at Stratton Air National Guard Base, Scotia, NY as the Base Civil Engineer and later as Civil Engineering Squadron Commander, directing construction, operations, maintenance, and services projects for 34 facilities within 119 acres. He led deployments to Torrejon, Spain, Aviano Air Base, Italy, Camp Las Delicious, Honduras, and numerous locations within the United States.
After a tornado struck the Capitol Region in 1998 leaving a path of destruction from Mechanicville to Schaghticoke, Col Boone served as on-site coordinator in Rensselaer County, directing Air National Guard emergency response actions in restoring farmland and residences. Shortly after the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, Col Boone served as the Air Component Commander with Joint Task Force 42, directing all Air National Guard & Navy Reserve Seabee personnel in conducting operations supporting NYPD security and credentialing at Ground Zero and restoring Governor’s Island facilities for 860 deployed Army National Guard troops.
Following military retirement in 2002, Col Boone served as Chief of Facilities Management, Albany VA Medical Center, NY. In 2006, he joined the National Guard Bureau at Joint Base Andrews, Washington, DC as Director of Air National Guard Installation & Environmental Planning, Facility Requirements and Strategic Facilities Basing programs through his retirement in 2014.
Colonel Boone received a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies in 1997 from the US Naval War College, Newport, RI, and has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Outstanding Unit Award, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, and New York State Conspicuous Service Cross. He resides in Ballston Lake, NY with Barb, his bride of 52+ years and is deeply privileged to complete over 37 years as a military and civil servant in service to our Nation.
The local Long Lake Memorial Day Parade will begin at Noon starting from the Long Lake Town Hall to the Long Lake Cemetery for a services, commemorations, and decoration of the graves. The Hamilton County Memorial Day Parade is slated to begin at 2:15pm, with step off at the Mt. Sabattis Recreation Area to Long Lake Central School.
Local organizations including Fire Departments, Rescue Squads and businesses are all invited to participate in the 2023 Hamilton County Memorial Day Parade by contacting Tim Helms at 518.624.3077 or emailing events@mylonglake.com.
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Contact:
Alexandra Roalsvig, Director
Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department
Town of Long Lake
PO Box 496, Long Lake, NY 12847
518-624-3077
www.mylonglake.com