County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman unveils WWII Anniversary Coalition

Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman today announced the creation of a coalition of museums, veterans organizations, educators, and support groups that will launch a series of programs and observances during 2025 to mark the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II.

Making the announcement at The Museum of American Armor inside Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Mr. Blakeman stated, “An entire generation of Americans went to war to courageously defend our freedoms and when they came home many would settle in Nassau County, creating a suburban community that continues to flourish to this day. We owe them, and every one who served and sacrificed, programs that honor, remember, and educate. While we remember those who came home and their service we can never forget the families who lost loved ones who never got to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.”

County Executive Blakeman made the announcement as the nation observed the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Bulge, where some 80,000 casualties were inflicted on American forces confronting the last major Nazi offensive against the Allies during World War II.

A WW II veteran’s hope

“I will be honored to take part in the Coalition’s 80th anniversary commemoration of the end of World War II,” said Morton Abuhoff, 98, of Farmingdale, a WWII combat veteran who fought major battles in Germany for which he received the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantry Badge and two major battles stars. “I still have vivid memories of those days —memories of valor, sacrifice, and loss. It’s important to share these stories, not only to remember those who were there, but to remind future generations that war is hell. My greatest hope is that such a conflict will never again be necessary.”

Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino remarked, "This coalition serves as an important reminder of the sacrifices made by the Greatest Generation to preserve our freedoms. By honoring their courage and educating future generations, we ensure that the legacy of their valor and the lessons of World War II endure in our hearts and minds."

Coalition members

The Nassau County WW II Coalition includes The Museum of American Armor, The Cradle of Aviation, The Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, the Nassau County Veterans Agency, and the Long Island Chapter of the Air Force Association. Corporate sponsors include PSEG Long Island, Bethpage Federal Credit Union, BDG, B2K Development, Bristal Assisted Living, David Mack, Ripco, Greenfield’s Shop Rite, NFP, Local 138 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, and in cooperation with the Long Island Council of the Social Studies.

Strategic goals: honor, remembrance, education

“This World War II Coalition seeks to accomplish several important goals,” stated the Armor Museum’s senior trustee Michael Sapraicone. “We need to honor those Americans who faced a remorseless and deadly enemy in Europe and the Pacific. Equally important, we need to instruct a new generation of Americans as to the legacy of freedom they left us, one that continues to define our world.”

“World War II was a defining period of time in our nation’s history. Hopefully the work of this Coalition will not only honor all those who served on the frontlines as well as the home front but can create an opportunity for all of us to reflect and continue to remember how the war helped to shape our nation. We need to give future generations the tools they need to appreciate the importance of this anniversary,” stated Andrew Parton, President, of The Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center.

The shadow of The Holocaust

Dr. Bernie Furshpan, Vice-Chair of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, reminded, “World War II and the Holocaust stand as pivotal events in our nation's history. This Coalition's mission is not only to honor those who served, both in combat and on the home front, but also to encourage reflection on the lasting impact these events have had on our country and the world. It's crucial that we provide future generations with the knowledge and understanding to fully grasp the significance of both the war and the Holocaust, so that the lessons learned continue to resonate and endure.”

Armor Museum Trustee David Burman said, “A survey conducted by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) found that a quarter of Americans didn’t know that D-Day occurred during World War II and less than half knew that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president during that time. These findings need to change and next year’s anniversary is the time and the place to place the lessons of World War II squarely before a new generation. To reinforce that imperative, a far more recent survey of several hundred Long Island students found approximately half couldn’t identify the importance of the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor.”

Promises to keep

Gloria Sesso, President of the Long Island Council for the Social Studies, and an educational advisor to The Museum of American Armor, observed, “We are in an era when little more than ninety minutes are allowed for the study of World War II in high school classrooms in an entire academic year. That creates a worrying lack of understanding regarding the enormous consequences of that conflict and how it continues to shape the world around us – from geopolitical borders to technology. Nassau County’s commitment to this anniversary has the potential for greatly strengthening our shared responsibility to teach, inform, and educate a new generation regarding the lessons of World War II.”

Colonel Jason Halloren (ret.), former deputy commandant of West Point, stated, “We are morally obligated to observe and reflect on this milestone anniversary. However, in doing so, we are equally compelled to recognize that our nation has failed to instill an appreciation within the current generation of Americans of the valor and sacrifice required to win a war against forces so dark and malevolent that we still cannot fathom the evil they brought to our world. The members of this coalition intend to address that.”

A year long observance

Plans include a World War II weekend long encampment within Eisenhower Park during the year that will feature an armor parade, living history presentations, exhibits and memorial ceremonies. Themed exhibits will be curated and presented by the Cradle of Aviation throughout the anniversary year and the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center will offer a retrospective on those who liberated the Nazi death camps and the trial of war criminals that would follow. A special emphasis will be placed on expanding the World War II curriculum in classrooms.