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A Memory of Larry McCaffrey
A Man With A Winning Smile |
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| by Judy Lombardi |
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Installation of Flags on Broadway and Herzog Place, Labor Day, 1963. Building pictured was the L.I. National Bank of Hicksville. Left to right: TOB (Tobay) Supervisor Thomas Pynchon, Lawrence C. McCaffrey, Carl Gruenwald and William Jones. |
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Larry was the thirteenth President of the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce. He had served two terms – 1962 and 1963. I did not know Larry that well for I had only joined the Chamber in 1980. It was the early to mid 80’s that I held office of Secretary that I worked with Larry on his Flag Committee.
Whenever I would speak to Larry on the phone, I could hear his smile and good humor right through the receiver. He chaired the Flag Committee and in this position, he made his greatest contribution to the people of Hicksville by using, as his vehicle, the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce. Larry wanted to foster good citizenship by displaying the American Flag on holidays.
The flags were kept at Goldman Brothers (Irwin was Vice President under Larry) and the poles were prepared and kept in good order by Larry and Treasurer of the chamber, Peter Fallon. It almost took forever but finally the flag holders were welding onto the parking meters. Meetings were held and different Hicksville community groups selected different holidays as their turn to rise and lower the flags up and down Broadway and the side streets of Old Hicksville. One unexpected result of this endeavor was the theft of a number of these flags.
Not many things have changed in the passing of time. We have a few more flags; the firehouse has a bit more room for the storage of these flags; the VFW prepares the poles and washes, or if needed, performs the honorable ceremony of “burning of the flags” properly. Sadly another holiday was added to the list in the raising and lowering of the flags on a special holiday – Patriots Day. This dark day in our history saw a lot of flags taken from their holders. Most people know that to (take or) receive an American flag that has been stolen, this flag has no moral value what so ever.
I have received pictures and stories 0f Larry with his flags from his widow, Mrs. McCaffrey. One picture shows Larry conducting a Flag Giving Ceremony. In welcoming two new businesses to Hicksville, they were presented with a flag to fly high in front of their businesses.
Larry enjoyed working with like-minded men to keep Hicksville a safe, beautiful, healthy and economically viable community for all. We are trying to follow his wishes. |
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