The United Military Veterans of Kings County will host their 19th annual Patriotism Awards reception on May 24 at 6 p.m. in the Fort Hamilton Community Club. As a past recipient, we will be pleased to attend.
This year’s honorees are Maj. Juan Diaz, USA; Brian Chin and Joseph Corace.
Diaz is the current post commander of the American Legion’s Coffey-Wilson Post No. 688; Chin is a well-known community leader and banking executive; and Corace is a past president of the Brighton/Coney Island Kiwanis Club and a member of Community Board 13.
Since 2001, the UMVKC – sponsors of the Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade – have bestowed more than 40 Patriotism Awards to admirable men and women. Past recipients include Justice Jerome Cohen, Howard Dunn, Borough Presidents Howard Golden and Marty Markowitz, CSM Juan Caez, Thomas Trombone, Commissioner Marty Maher, Dozier Hasty, Maj. Gen. John Cox, Chaplain (Col.) Edward R.P. Kane, Connie Ranocchio, Councilman Vincent Gentile, state Sen. Marty Golden, Raymond Aalbue and Cathy Santopietro.
The Presentation of the Colors will be conducted by the Fort Hamilton H.S. JROTC “Tiger Battalion.”
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Borough Historian Ronald Schweiger, a former president of the Society of Old Brooklynites and adjunct history professor, will give a free presentation on the history of the old Town of Flatbush on May 11 at 7 p.m. The Friends of New Utrecht will host the event in the New Utrecht Reformed Church parish hall on 18th Avenue and 84th Street.
Flatbush is one of the original towns that was part of Kings County. Before the founding of Brooklyn, it served as the first county seat. One of the oldest buildings Schweiger will talk about is the Flatbush Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, which was founded in 1654 under the direction of Peter Stuyvesant.Originally appointed by Borough President Marty Markowitz, Schweiger also served under Eric Adams and is now part of the administration of Antonio Reynoso.
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