Despite unruly gusts of wind and an inconsistent microphone, emcee Marc Whiten, a retired judge, managed to keep the Veterans Day ceremony at the Riverton Square on Monday upbeat and informative. Under the rubric “Riverton’s First Residents — ‘They Were the Village’” and organized by Glenn Hunter of the Harlem Cultural Archives, an ample contingent of Riverton residents were in attendance. As Hunter noted in the press release, “These men and women who also served became not only our parents but our role models.”
Included in the two-hour celebration was presentation of a plaque honoring the original residents of Riverton who served in World War II; raising a flag flown on Marine One with the president; and members of Boy and Girl Troop 183, as well as the Spirit of Tuskegee 332nd Squadron Civil Air Patrol.
“Thank you, Lord … for all our brothers and sisters who served in World War II and returned to build the village …,” Whiten said.
He introduced Michael Joseph, historian of the Tri-State Tuskegee Breviary Group. “I’m not a military man,” Joseph said. “I’m not a serviceman. This is an 80-year-old uniform that I’m wearing, and these eagles represent Colonel Benjamin Odis, who rose to become a four-star general.” After describing his attire, Joseph offered an extensive history of the Tuskegee Airmen and their achievements during the war, citing the heroic actions of Lee Archer, Bo Davis, Herbert Thorpe, Harry Stewart, Bill Wheeler, Roscoe Brown, Percy Sutton, and a long list of others.
Former Assemblyman Keith Wright, a native of the neighborhood whose father was Judge Bruce Wright, recognized several notables in the audience, including Grant Reid, Councilmember Yusef Salaam, and his son, Jordan. “I have my father’s medal,” he said. “I have his Purple Heart. I have his Bronze Star. I have his Continuous Service Cross, among other things … I just want to say thank you.”
Awards were presented to Sara Kobe and Patt Terrelonge, whose father was Tuskegee Airman Victor Terrelonge. Joseph and Burt Blasco, also Riverton originals, held up a large photograph of the flag donated by the Presidential Helicopter Squadron.
Whiten then asked folks to emulate what the residents of Riverton had done. “Create a community that has value,”he urged. “Learn about the place we live in. Share that knowledge, not only with your kids, grandchildren, but with your neighborhood.”