Pearl Harbor Memorial Ceremony To Be Hosted On Long Island: Info

FARMINGDALE, NY — The annual "Dropping of the Roses” Pearl Harbor Memorial Ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 7 at the American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale. The ceremony is set to run from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The museum is at Hangar 3, 1230 New Highway, Farmingdale.

The ceremony will be conducted by the Long Island Air Force Association (LIAFA). The museum has provided space for this event each year ever since the museum opened its doors in 2000.

"Help support the mission of AAM and LIAFA by honoring our veterans and learning about U.S. military history," the museum wrote in a statement.

Dec. 7, 2022, marks the 81st Anniversary of the Japanese attack on the U.S. Navy Fleet based at Pearl Harbor.

Col. Bill Stratemeier of LIAFA will deliver the welcoming remarks. The solemn ceremony will remember all who served at Pearl Harbor and will be followed by a special tribute to World War II veterans who will receive certificates from Long Island elected officials.

In keeping with the “Dropping of the Roses” tradition started by Joseph Hydrusko in 1970, the blessing of 81 American Beauty Roses (including one extra white rose for 9-11) will commemorate the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The ceremony will include Color Guards from the Navy Reserves and veterans organizations. A Chaplain will conduct a Blessing of the Roses, "Taps" will be played and the Roses will be presented to the pilot, who will then depart AAM’s ramp in a vintage military aircraft to drop the Roses over the Statue of Liberty.

The public is welcome to attend the museum's “Dropping of the Roses” Ceremony.

Admission is free between 10:30 a.m. and noon. After 12 p.m. it will be $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and veterans, and $10 for kids ages 5 to 12. No tickets or pre-registration is necessary.