Coronavirus News: Virtual ceremonies planned for Memorial Day

25 May 2020, 09:46

NEW YORK (WABC) -- This year's Memorial Day will pay tribute not only to those who died on the battlefield but also those who have fallen during the coronavirus pandemic.

Many of the usual Memorial Day gatherings have been either canceled or curtailed - mindful of the pandemic that has already killed more than 90,000 people in the U.S.

The annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Intrepid will be virtual this year. Even in a pandemic- they're not going to let the day pass without paying tribute to those who've lost their lives defending our country.

The same is true in Nassau County, where a virtual ceremony was planned Monday morning.

"We are honoring our fallen with a car parade from Veterans Memorial Coliseum to the Eisenhower Memorial Park Veterans Memorial. It's going to be beautiful. People don't come. We are going to keep it for our veterans. We are going to have a very solemn ceremony with a wreath laying, but you can follow it on Facebook," Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said.

On Sunday, a convoy of military vehicles from the Museum of American Armor gathered at Long Island National Cemetery. They arrived as several were there to honor their loved ones, saying they're finding inspiration from them as we battle through this pandemic.

Veterans buried at Long Island National Cemetery were honored by a convoy of World War II armored vehicles on Sunday.

Many parades have been canceled, including with the Brooklyn Memorial Day parade. They will instead host a cars only caravan.

The toll of the virus on military veterans has been particularly harsh. They are older, have underlying health problems, and many reside in facilities that have been breeding grounds for the disease. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 1,000 veterans have been killed by the coronavirus. That does not include hundreds more who have died in state-run veterans homes, including hard-hit facilities in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Louisiana.

It's making the situation even more painful for the relatives of those veterans who have died from the virus.

Robert Hopp was one of at least 79 residents of a veterans home in Paramus, New Jersey, to die from COVID-19, making the state-run facility one of the nation's worst hot spots for the virus. He served two and a half tours during the Vietnam War and received a Purple Heart after he was hit with enemy fire while in a helicopter. Everyone else on board the chopper died, but Hopp managed to climb into the pilot's seat and fly to safety.

After being hospitalized recently for diabetic complications, his health deteriorated quickly and he died in April. He was 70 years old. His family is at a loss about how they will mark the occasion.

"We couldn't even have a funeral for him yet," said stepson J.J. Brania-Hopp. "There's not really anything we can do right now. All we'll probably do is talk about him, maybe go for a walk out in the sun."

In Queens, a veteran took time out to pay tribute to the lives lost due to the coronavirus pandemic.

John Christ performed 'Taps' - a bugle call typically played at military funerals - on the steps of his home.

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