Wounded War Veterans Get a New York-Style Salute from Empire City Casino

A group of wounded U.S. military service members received a New York welcome on Wednesday as they toured New York City.

The Baltimore Police Department partnered with area police departments form Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and New York to host the military troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan on a much-anticipated trip to New York City.

The soldiers are currently patients at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and were accompanied by police and medical personnel for the trip.
Upon arriving in New York City, NYPD joined the motorcade and escorted the troops to the 9/11 Memorial for a tour. The group was then escorted to the legendary Katz Delicatessen, where they were treated to a classic New York-style lunch by Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway and NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.

“We are honored to be able to host these troops for lunch. We had hoped to bring them to the casino but the time constraints made that impossible so we decided on an authentic New York City experience at Katz Deli,” said Taryn Duffy, director of Public Affairs for Empire City Casino. “With the debt of gratitude we owe these service members, this was the very least we could do.”

After lunch the troops headed to the Ed Sullivan Theatre for the taping of The Late Show with David Letterman. The trip has been in the works for the past year and is part of a continuing effort on behalf of the Baltimore Police to demonstrate to our military personnel that their contribution and sacrifices are appreciated and will not be forgotten.