The young man sat in a wheelchair, accepting a handshake and a thank you from civilians for his ser­vice in Iraq. It seemed so little for his giving so much. But the soldier looked keenly into the eyes of every­one who stood before him and acknowledged their good wishes and gratitude with a warm and soulful God Bless you.

It was for this young man and so many others that the communities of Babylon and Oyster Bay came together last week to recognize through a national program, the Wounded Warrior Project. The Proj­ect

provides not only funding for these veterans but also the opportunity to rebuild their spirits as well as their bodies. As many of us learned, however, that the Project did more for grateful Americans than we could have ever done for them.

That’s what we witnessed as the Wounded War­riors arrived in Babylon for a dinner on Thursday, and then were honored at ceremonies there. On Friday, the soldiers, many on bikes modified for amputees, were joined by supporters and rode from Babylon, through Amityville and Massapequa, to the Wantagh Parkway and down to Long Island’s beaches. Along the way, they were cheered on and honored.

We applaud the public officials who saw the tre­mendous public benefit of bringing this project to our area and to the public that worked to make the event so special. As word spread about the bike ride, civic groups, youth and athletic leaders, fraternal organi­zations, and individuals made the Project their own. They were out in the streets at dozens of points along the way. There was music, flag waving and cheers. Everyone was able to let these warriors know that their tremendous sacrifices have not been forgotten.

In the end however, it was the organizers and par­ticipants of this event who were the recipients of the best it had to offer. The face of war marched down Main Street one day last week, and a grateful country had the chance to stand before it and say thank you for the freedom you gave so much to defend.