
Unit 229 Chaplain Oaré Beyah organizing tribute to Black veterans while honoring her late father’s military service.
Oaré Beyah is a member of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 229 in Utica, N.Y., through the military service of her father, a U.S. Army veteran who has passed away. Beyah said her service through the Auxiliary – which includes serving as Unit 229’s chaplain – is a way to both honor and remember her father.
An extension of that is an event Beyah is coordinating for Black History Month. On Feb. 3, a day-long event in the area will serve as a tribute to Black veterans in the area.
The day will start with a tribute ceremony honoring Black veterans at the Raymour and Flanigan Furniture and Mattress Store in nearby Yorkville, which will be followed in the afternoon by a memorial wall display honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans at the Carol L. Crooms Cultural Center in Utica. The entire event is open to the public.
Beyah said the day is an opportunity to honor both her father’s service and the service of all Black veterans.
“We owe an immense debt of gratitude to the Black veterans who have valiantly served our country,” Beyah said. “This event is our way of recognizing their unwavering commitment and honoring their sacrifices made to protect our nation and its freedoms.
“It’s personal for me because I miss my father so much. It’s a way to extend his legacy. And it’s also something I teach in my grief care class. When we grieve so deeply for a loved one, this is a way to express our grief: to extend the love that we’ve shared with those that have gone on.”
Beyah said last fall she’d attended another event in the area and noticed a lack of Black veterans in attendance. She hopes that will change with the Feb. 3 event.
“We have a lot of (Black veterans) here, but they just don’t fellowship with one another,” she said. “Socialization is vital to them, because a lot of them … don’t know who to reach out to. So I’d say it’s very important for them to do something like this – and for the community as a whole. We don’t know what our history is.”
Beyah crediated Utica resident Steven Taylor – the first Black elected to the Utica City Council – with being a driving force to make the event happen. Taylor served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War but served stateside. He said his appreciation for those who served in Vietnam grew after the war ended, and he hopes the Feb. 3 event can show them that appreciation.
“When I got out of the service, it was right around the time where the veterans were coming back from Vietnam,” Taylor said. “They made an impression on me. They didn’t treat me differently – ‘you didn’t go over (to Vietnam). You weren’t in a battle.’ They embraced me. And they would embrace us young, new veterans, as if we were their young brothers. They looked out for us.
“And they didn’t show any signs of fatigue and struggle and pain. But it was a part of their lives. They don’t like to talk about it, but they were very sensitive about what they’d been through. So I thought (the event) was an opportunity for a healing of some sort. Let’s let these veterans know we appreciate them. We know what they’ve went through, and we’re going to forever honor the service that they gave to this country. This is deeply personal to me as a veteran.”
- Honor & Remembrance