Hampton Bays Elementary Students Celebrate Flag Day, Honor Veteran

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — Just in time for Flag Day, and in continuing its mission to take history out of the textbooks by honoring local veterans, the Hampton Bays School District marked its 37th Flag Day celebration this week and paid tribute to the Honorable Patrick Gunn, Southampton Town justice.

During the celebration, second-graders spoke about Gunn’s life, read poems and sang patriotic songs, including "Yankee Doodle" and "Fifty Nifty United States." Prior to the event, the students learned about the U.S. flag and its history.

Following the ceremony, a flag was raised to honor Gunn, who is the 82nd veteran to be honored by the district.

Gunn enlisted in the United States Navy shortly after high school and was assigned as an operations specialist to the Norfolk-based guided missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG-37). During his tenure in the Navy, he received the Navy Expeditionary Medal, a Sea Service Ribbon and Commander Sixth Fleet commendation. He was honorably discharged in 1984 at the rank of petty officer second class (E-5).

After receiving his college degree in history and politics from LIU Southampton College and his MBA from LIU Post, he worked as an adjunct professor of business at Southampton College and attended Touro Law School in the evening. After receiving his law degree, Gunn worked as a Suffolk County assistant district attorney, East Hampton assistant town attorney, Quogue Village prosecutor and in his solo practice as a defense attorney.

Currently, he is a judge in the Southampton Town Justice Court.

Gunn lives in Hampton Bays with his wife, Jennifer, and has two grown children, Caelan and Ryan, as well as a granddaughter, Fiona. He is a life member of VFW Post 5350 in Westhampton Beach and the Hampton Bays American Legion, Hand-Aldrich Post 924.

"The Hampton Bays Public Schools recognizes Justice Gunn for his commitment to his country, family and our community. In his honor, we proudly raise the flag in his name," the district said.