Hampton Bays Middle School students continued a tradition of taking history out of the text books by honoring area veterans each month by paying tribute to Cyrilo Roque, a World War II Merchant Marine, in early January.
Roque, the first Merchant Marine to be recognized by students in Hampton Bays, is a World War II veteran who rescued countless American soldiers during his years of service as a seaman.
According to the school district, Roque is a native of Brazil and became a U.S. citizen in 1949 and married his late wife, Sebastiana, in 1953. He currently lives with his son George in Flanders.
A flag will fly in front of the Hampton Bays Elementary School in recognition of Roque’s service to his country for one month and going forward, as per a proclamation issued by Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne Holst, Jan. 11, will be known as Cyrilo Roque Day in the Town of Southampton.
Roque now joins numerous other veterans who have been honored by students, including Walter Flaherty, Ray Rand, Joseph Lach, Marilouse Kelly, James Papadrea, and Vincent Handal through the program, which commenced in November 2011.
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