Nassau To Hold 2 County-Wide Moments Of Silence On Memorial Day

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — County Executive Bruce Blakeman is launching an initiative to have two county-wide moments of silence this Memorial Day.

Blakeman's plan would have county residents take part in two 50-second-long moments of silence, at noon and 6 p.m. Fire departments, police cars and volunteer ambulance corps will sound their sirens at those times to remind residents to pause for the silence.

"It would be a tremendous tribute to all those that gave their lives for America on Memorial Day," said Blakeman. "It is not just a weekend of fun but also a weekend of remembrance. A weekend when we can thank those who gave their lives and the families that lost their loved ones because that's something that we should never take for granted. I encourage everyone to stop and remember our nation’s fallen heroes when they hear the sirens sound this Memorial Day."

The idea is modeled on an Israeli tradition of two minutes of silence on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Blakeman said this would be the first coordinated county-wide moment of silence.