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Thursday, April 3, 2025 ~ Volume 137 ~ Issue Number 20 ~ $1.00
50th Anniversary of Vietnam War’s End
Largest Assembly of Vietnam Vets in Suffolk History By Matt Meduri
While the Vietnam War was wrought with controversy for the twenty years of its duration, it’s been a near-universal opinion, especially nowadays, that the Veterans of that war were unfairly mistreated. Suffolk County and its municipalities have always given Vietnam Veterans the recognition they deserve, but Saturday’s display was historic for two reasons. Not only did it mark the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the war - observed as March 29, 1975, the day the last American troops left Southeast Asia - but it also served as the largest gathering of Vietnam Veterans in the county’s history, with Armed Forces Plaza at the H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge packed to a capacity that most in attendance have never seen for any ceremony held there. Continued on page 5
An American flag raised in front of the H. Lee Dennison Building. (Credit - Matt Meduri)
‘Train to Hell’:
Toby Carlson Couches Rail Yard Proposal By Matt Meduri The long-discussed and controversial proposal to construct a rail yard in Kings Park to help cart waste and debris off Long Island amid a ballooning waste crisis has been shelved. Carlson Corp. CEO Toby Carlson sat down with The Messenger to discuss the fallout after several years of community opposition, “misinformation” dominating local headlines, and the path forward for Suffolk’s waste crisis. What started as an innovative idea to a regional problem, Carlson says the opinions and discourse have turned the project into nothing but a “train to Hell.” “With the political climate being the way it is, I started taking a hard look at my priorities. I did not invent the waste crisis; that’s something that’s part of Long Island,” Carlson told The Messenger. “This project was never about me; it was just a great solution in a great location. It was never meant to be a political wedge or a divisive tool for the community. When I started examining the realities, I realized, ‘why am I carrying this burden and being slaughtered?’” Continued on page 15
FULL FULLSTORIES STORIESON: ON:
In Memoriam: Chris Revere Page 4
Commerdinger House Vandalized Page 10
HSE Senior Finds New Salamander Species Page 12
Toby Carlson at a January Town Board meeting (Credit - Matt Meduri)