Retired Senator Bill Larkin couldn’t attend the road-naming ceremony on July 15, but he wasn’t forgotten. One of his former staff members, Brian Maher, hosted the event. And every speaker who addressed the crowd stood behind a podium with a Larkin poster.
The occasion was the unveiling of a sign that would identify Route 300 in Newburgh as the “Gold Star Families Memorial Highway.”
A gold star family is one that has lost somebody in combat. Thomas McIntyre of the DOT told the audience that “It’s an honor that no one wants.”
The naming of the highway resulted from one of Bill Larkin’s final acts as a legislator. At the Monday morning ceremony, another former Larkin affiliate, Jim McGee, spoke on the senator’s behalf.
“It’s about gratitude,” he said to explain why the naming of the road was important. He then referred to Robert Maples, the first man to be killed in action under Bill Larkin’s command.
The death occurred on Aug. 3. And every year, the senator would quietly observe the anniversary in his office. He would not attend any meetings on that day.
After returning to the United States from Korea, Bill Larkin visited the Maples family in Georgia. When he learned that Robert had loved to read, Mr. Larkin and a colleague raised funds so that a portion of the local library would be named for the deceased hero.
Mr. McGee related the story to the day’s activity. “What Bill Larkin was about,” he said, “was showing gratitude.”
Seven Gold Star family members were at the event. Mr. Maher introduced them to the audience and then asked for a minute of silence. When it was over, the spectators spontaneously applauded.
The ceremony was held on a patio between a Dairy Queen and a sloping lawn, where most of the people parked. After the speeches, Mr. Maher invited veterans, legislators and former Larkin staff members to join in the unveiling of the sign.
The event attracted members of the two major political parties — something that Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (Dem., Newburgh) noted when it was his turn to speak. “This has nothing to do with politics,” he said.
