A Salute to Service on East Moriches Main Street

Patriotism ran high Sunday as the East Moriches community turned out for its annual Veterans Day Parade, honoring generations of American service members and recognizing one of its own, Vietnam combat veteran Lee Sinnickson.

The lifelong Center Moriches resident led the procession as Grand Marshal, a distinction recognizing his military service and decades of involvement in the community.

Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of the Moriches, the parade brought together veterans, local fire departments, civic organizations and residents for a celebration of patriotism and remembrance. Local officials marching were Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico, Suffolk Legislator Jim Mazzarella, and Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio.

The procession traveled through East Moriches to Soldiers and Sailors Park, where the community gathered to honor America’s veterans.

For Sinnickson, 78, the recognition carried special significance, particularly for those who never returned from the battlefield.

“It’s an honor, not only for me, but for all the men who served who didn’t come home,” Sinnickson said. “It’s recognition for everybody — the men who are unaccounted for, the POWs, not just Vietnam, but all wars.”

Drafted in 1967, Sinnickson served a 14-month combat tour in Vietnam with the Army’s famed 1st Infantry Division. His decorations include the Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge and Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

Returning home, he continued his family’s funeral directing tradition while dedicating decades to the Center Moriches Fire Department, veterans organizations and numerous community groups.

Parade organizer Miriam Gillies praised Sinnickson as an outstanding representative of the veterans the annual event seeks to recognize.

“His military service, his commitment to veterans and everything he has done for the Moriches community make this a very well-deserved honor,” Gillies said.

The annual tradition, established in 2018, continues to bring the community together in recognition of America’s military heroes.

For Sinnickson, the message remains simple.

“Whether it be in time of war or time of peace, to me that doesn’t matter. You served. That, to me, is the important thing.”