To pay tribute to Riverhead hero Garfield M. Langhorn Jr., Riverhead Central School District’s Pulaski Street Elementary School recently dedicated the second Friday of each October as Garfield M. Langhorn Day.
With that, the first Garfield M. Langhorn Jr. day was celebrated on Oct. 16. Throughout the day, students learned about Langhorn’s life and why he is a hero. Each class incorporated Langhorn’s story into their lessons, and during lunch periods, Principal Patrick Burke spoke to the students about Langhorn’s heroic actions and students shared their stories of family members who served their country.
The school also created a webpage in honor of Langhorn. It includes his life story and photos.
Langhorn graduated from the Riverhead School District when Pulaski Street served as the district’s high school. He was killed in action in Vietnam on Jan. 15, 1969 when he thew himself on a live grenade to save fellow wounded soldiers.