The Office of Staten Island Borough President
10/27/2025 | Press release | Archived content
'We Always Pay Homage And Honor To Those Who Served': Flag Raised Over Livingston WWII Veterans Memorial
Borough President Vito Fossella and District Attorney Michael McMahon stood in salute with members of the Merrill-Capodanno American Legion Post to raise a flag on a newly erected flagpole at the Livingston WWII Veterans Memorial.
The memorial bears the names of 280 neighborhood men who saw combat action during World War II. Flowers and plants decorated the memorial, but there was no flagpole.
That prompted Pablo Hidalgo, the post's vice commander, to reach out to Borough President Fossella, who joined with Dist
"These were the guys who went off to war, served this country honorably and helped to liberate the free world," said Borough President Fossella before the flag-raising. "And, as we know, here on Staten Island, we always pay homage and honor those who served because without the veterans, we would not have the freedoms we enjoy. Today, we say thank you to the veterans here across Staten Island and across the country by raising a new flag and flagpole in their honor."
Mr. Hidalgo thanked Borough President Fossella and District Attorney McMahon for fulfilling his wish to erect a flagpole at the memorial.
"I am a veteran, a Marine, and now I am going to enjoy coming by here and seeing the flag and saluting my comrades," he said.
Together, they hoisted the American flag and a POW flag onto the new flagpole, giving the men whose names are etched into the Livingston WWII Veterans Memorial the dignity they deserve.
The memorial bears the names of 280 neighborhood men who saw combat action during World War II. Flowers and plants decorated the memorial, but there was no flagpole.
That prompted Pablo Hidalgo, the post's vice commander, to reach out to Borough President Fossella, who joined with Dist
"These were the guys who went off to war, served this country honorably and helped to liberate the free world," said Borough President Fossella before the flag-raising. "And, as we know, here on Staten Island, we always pay homage and honor those who served because without the veterans, we would not have the freedoms we enjoy. Today, we say thank you to the veterans here across Staten Island and across the country by raising a new flag and flagpole in their honor."
Mr. Hidalgo thanked Borough President Fossella and District Attorney McMahon for fulfilling his wish to erect a flagpole at the memorial.
"I am a veteran, a Marine, and now I am going to enjoy coming by here and seeing the flag and saluting my comrades," he said.
Together, they hoisted the American flag and a POW flag onto the new flagpole, giving the men whose names are etched into the Livingston WWII Veterans Memorial the dignity they deserve.
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