“Hoehm” town happenings: Carry the Load, A Unique Clarkstown Tradition (By Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann)

On April 29, 2024, Clarkstown will once again be host to the annual Carry The Load relay, a truly special event that everyone should consider attending. Our great nation only exists because of the brave men and women who fought to establish and protect the freedoms we all enjoy today. Dating back to the Revolutionary War, over 650,000 U.S. military personnel have died in combat and over 540,000 more have died in service. The Carry The Load flag relay was created to serve as a reminder that the true meaning of Memorial Day is to honor the memory and sacrifice of these heroes.

With the tremendous help of Congers resident Sean Magee, the Town of Clarkstown is blessed to be a part of this moving and powerful tradition put together by Carry The Load, a national veteran’s organization. The not-for-profit’s founding goal has since expanded to additionally honor those in law enforcement who have paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving our local communities. The organization’s primary event is an annual relay walk of the American flag, which travels 2,100 miles from West Point to Texas.The event became so popular that it was expanded to seven flag walks spanning the entire country. Each of these walks culminates in Austin, Texas at a park adjacent to the Carry the Load headquarters on Memorial Day. Clarkstown is very fortunate to be one of the locations where a relay exchange of the flag occurs, right in downtown Congers. We have built an event complete with a relay march into the Congers Train Station, a scholarship and wreath laying ceremony, and a community BBQ. Each year hundreds of residents including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts,

Little Leagues, veterans, and elected officials march with Carry the Load team members from Old Haverstraw Road into the Congers Train Station Park. It is always heartwarming to see so many families bring their children out to remember and honor our true heroes. The event is a great opportunity to teach future generations about Memorial Day and the ultimate sacrifice many have made.

To coincide with the event, Sean Magee and Anchor Trading sponsor a $5,000 scholarship contest asking High School seniors, “What does Memorial Day mean to you?” Each year we receive dozens of well-prepared essays from students. The Scholarship Committee is always impressed with the sincerity of the students’ essays, and their understanding of the true meaning of Memorial Day. The deadline to submit essays to my office is April 22, 2024.

On a personal note, my father was a veteran who served in Korea and passed away in 2000. Like many veterans, he didn’t talk much about his time in the service. He came home having survived the horrors of combat and worked to build a family and life. I have always been so proud of him. I am thankful to honor him and the many other veterans in our Town that I have had the privilege to know, at this event. We are fortunate that these veterans returned home, but many others did not.

The Congers rally reminds me why Clarkstown is such a special place to live. I am proud to see us all come together each year to honor our heroes in this way. Along with this year’s ceremony, residents can view the newly reconstructed war memorial at the corner of Lake Road and Burnside Avenue. The famous Congers “cannon” was restored and the crumbling concrete base was completely overhauled to create a beautiful new monument to our nation’s veterans, with special recognition to Lt. Raymond B. Jauss, for whom the original monument was built. Lt. Jauss was killed in action in 1918 while serving in Europe during World War I and was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Congress for his heroism.

Thank you to all the volunteers, Anchor Trading, BRIDGES of Rockland County, the Congers VMA, Congers, Valley Cottage, and New City Fire Departments, the Clarkstown Police Honor Guard and Police Auxiliary, Town of Clarkstown staff, U.S. Marine Corp League of Rockland County, Rockland County Vietnam Veterans, and the Nam Knights, all for participating in and helping to organize the event.