“It is the veterans, not the politicians who give us our freedom,” Hoffman said. “The true heroes are not the quarterbacks who successfully execute a Hail Mary pass or the baseball player who hits a home run. It isn’t the Hollywood actor who looks good dodging imaginary bullets and fake explosions. It is the military veteran, the police officer, the firefighter and others who risk — and far too often lose — their lives protecting and defending all of us.”

Across Lake Placid on Monday, flags were lowered and raised in honor of a new group of local veterans. The lowered flags were folded and given to family members, who received them — some with stoicism, some with hugs. The group of people remembered on this day, Hoffman said, transcends labels and divisions in society.

“The heroes that we honor today are not exclusive to any gender, race or religion. They come from all economic classes and backgrounds. They hail from all 50 states, and some of them migrate from other countries,” he said. “They are a diverse group wedded in the belief that America is a nation worth dying for.”

Linda Jones received a flag that was lowered at the World War I memorial next to Adirondack Community Church. Her husband, Robert Jones, served in the U.S. Army for a couple of years when he was in his 20s. He never ended up getting deployed, but trained in Michigan. Robert died a year ago, so this was a special way to remember him.

Stuart Spotts, of the American Legion Post 326, embraces Judy Scammell, wife of Donald Scammell, after giving her a flag in his honor outside the American Legion Home in Lake Placid on Monday. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

“It’s a wonderful honor, because they raise the flag, and this was his church,” Linda said. “He had a lot of friends. He did a lot of volunteer work in the community.”

Siblings Ron LeClair, Barbara LeClair and Janice Girard received a flag honoring their mother, Dorothy LeClair. The only woman in this year’s rotation of honorees, LeClair served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps from 1944 to 1945, just at the end of World War II.

Throughout the morning, flags were also lowered in honor of Larry Prager, Daniel Lundin, Benjamin Gadwaw and Donald Scammell. Then the flag at the North Elba Cemetary was lowered and raised, and the community convened for a parade. The flags that were raised on Monday will fly until Veterans Day in November, when those flags will be presented to family members.

At the World War I memorial, a flag was raised for Tom Woodman. Outside Elderwood of Uihlein, a flag was raised for Larry Burdo. At the Adirondack Medical Center, a flag was raised for Robert Knox. Toward the end of the ceremony at the American Legion Home, flags were raised for Donald Dew, Thomas McConnell and Arthur Jubin.

Lake Placid American Legion member Doug Hoffman presents a flag to Linda Jones in honor of her husband, Robert, at the World War I memorial on Monday. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

Members of the American Legion Post 326, the American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of the Legion march in the Memorial Day parade in Lake Placid on Monday. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

American Legion Post 326 member Kimball Daby plays “Taps” during a flag-raising ceremony in Lake Placid on Monday. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)

Patricia Damp embraces Stuart Spotts, of the Lake Placid American Legion Post 326, after receiving a flag honoring her father Larry Prager outside Elderwood of Uihlein on Monday. (Enterprise photo — Grace McIntyre)