A number of different events are scheduled throughout November to honor and assist America’s veterans, ranging from health seminars to legal discussions covering veterans’ rights. Last week, local, elected officials gathered at Woodlawn Cemetery for the annual, wreath-laying ceremony at the monument dedicated to those who served and died in World War I, the so-called “war to end all wars.”

In attendance, to mark Veterans’ Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, were New York State Senator Jamaal Bailey, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilman Andrew Cohen who joined Quamid Francis, the deputy chief of staff at the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services and Mitch Rose, president of Woodlawn Cemetery, in remembering all who served.

The officials placed a wreath at the foot of the monument, where a plaque is embedded in the bedrock that reads, in part, “In memory of the heroic men who gave their lives in noble sacrifice.”

The plaque inscription ends with a passage from the Bible that reads, “He maketh wars to cease.” The United States suffered 116,516 casualties, and 320,000 more were left sick or wounded following World War I.

To date, Woodlawn Cemetery has identified 6,500 soldiers for whom the cemetery is their final resting place. Between them, they have collectively served in every American conflict since the War of 1812.

Those buried at Woodlawn include Civil War hero; David Glasgow Farragut, the first admiral of the United States Navy; Edward Knox, a member of the 15th New York Light Artillery who was awarded the medal of honor for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg; and Lucy Bainbridge, a nurse during the Civil War who cared for wounded soldiers of the Union Army on the front lines in Virginia.

According to Bronx historian, Lloyd Ultan, if standing on Central Avenue inside the cemetery and facing east, one would be overlooking the actual battlefield of The Battle of Gun Hill, the Revolutionary War battle that took place on January 25, 1777. On that day, freedom fighters carried a cannon up Gun Hill and were able to push British troops east, back into Queens.

The Woodlawn Cemetery & Conservancy is open to the public and often hosts walking tours and other events, and is located at 4199 Webster Avenue. For more information visit their website at www.woodlawn.org.