Injured veteran honored at Memorial Day breakfast
An Iraq war veteran who suffered a traumatic brain injury and who gets by, these days, with help from her service dog was cited for her courage and fortitude at a special pre-Memorial Day breakfast in Bay Ridge on Thursday.
U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Katherine Ragazzino brought along her faithful service dog Daisy when she walked up to the podium in the ballroom of the Bay Ridge Manor catering hall to accept a citation from state Sen. Marty Golden as hundreds of veterans stood and applauded her.
In her acceptance speech, Ragazzino sought to deflect the attention from her and instead focused on the meaning of Memorial Day. She told the audience that she wears a bracelet to honor those who have died in war.
“Every day when I get up in the morning, I challenge myself every day to give back to those who made the ultimate sacrifice,” she said.