Flag Day Ceremony Honors 2 Queens Soldiers

St. John's Prep Principal William Higgins discusses the meaning of Flag Day as Knights of Columbus Chapter 14449 Grand Knight Barry Ferguson looks on.

The schoolyard at Immaculate Conception School, 21-63 29th St., Astoria, was the scene of a Flag Day ceremony June 4 that honored Private First Class Daniel Fuentes, a Long Island man who was killed on duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq April 6, and paid tribute to another soldier, Army Specialist Alex Jimenez of Corona and Massachusetts, who was abducted south of Baghdad on May 12. Jimenez' Army identification card was shown on a video made by the terrorists who captured the 25-year-old and two other soldiers. Last week the Army changed his status from "whereabouts unknown" to "missing in action".

Monsignor Charles Boccio, pastor of Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church blessed a folded American flag that was presented to Fuentes' parents. The ceremony was organized by the Knights of Columbus.

Monsignor Charles Boccio offers a prayer at Flag Day ceremonies in the schoolyard at Immaculate Conception School on June 14.