Annual Memorial Day Watch Fire Ceremonies Take Place Throughout Rockland

by M.C. Millman
Rockland County's annual Watch Fire ceremony was held on Wednesday night, May 29, at four locations in honor of Memorial Day.
Watch Fires in Rockland were started thirty-seven years ago by the late Jerry Donnellan, a Vietnam War veteran and Founder of Chapter 333 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, who decided the watch fires should take place in honor of Memorial Day and not require a band, fireworks, or an audience other than those who understand what the fires represent. Watch fires are lit throughout the country to pay tribute to troops who sadly did not return from war. The watch fires are modeled upon Revolutionary War signal fires, which General George Washington had lit along the Hudson River to tell people that the war was over.
"It is deeply meaningful to know that Rockland County has four watch fires set up to honor the post Memorial Day Watchfires tradition," Senator Bill Weber shares with Rockland Daily. "Despite the rain this year, the watchfire tradition continued as Rocklanders paid tribute to troops who sadly didn’t return from war."
The Vietnam Veterans of America sponsors these watch fires annually throughout Rockland County to remember soldiers who are in service abroad and the troops who didn't return from war.
This year's traditional watch fires were lit Wednesday night at 11:30 pm and left tc
o burn for 24 hours at four locations:
- Bowline Point Park in Haverstraw
- Eugene Levy Memorial Park on Route 45 in Pomona
- The top of Clausland Mountain in Orangeburg
- The east end of the Piermont Pier.
Those wishing to retire flags were able to do so at any of the Watch Fire locations.


