The final words of Pfc. Garfield Langhorn, killed in Vietnam nearly 50 years ago, echoed through the sweltering heat at Calverton National Cemetery on Friday as the Riverhead war hero was re-buried alongside his fellow soldiers.
Pfc. Langhorn was 20 years old when he threw himself onto a grenade during a recovery mission on Jan. 15, 1969, sacrificing his life to save wounded soldiers. He was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military honor the following year.
Pfc. Langhorn has been buried at Riverhead Cemetery since 1969, where his family chose a local resting place so his father could personally care for the plot. Calverton National Cemetery opened a decade after the soldier’s death.
With the blessing of his sisters, retired Army officer Timothy Dahlen spent months working to make the move happen. Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead handled the disinterment and ceremony free of charge.
With their families surrounding them, Garfield’s sisters Yvonne Langhorn Reid, Anna Mack and April Armstead watched with pride as their brother received full military honors for his act of valor. Veterans and military representatives from all across the East End and beyond joined together to salute the courageous serviceman.
Several elected officials shared remarks and gratitude for Pfc. Langhorn’s sacrifice, including Congressman Nick LaLota, Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, Suffolk County Legislator Greg Doroski and Riverhead Town Supervisor Jerry Halpin. Rev. Cynthia Liggon of the Riverhead First Baptist Church led the crowd in prayer.
The playing of taps filled the solemn silence of Section 23 of the national cemetery. Pfc. Langhorn’s family also received a presidential memorial certificate. Attendees witnessed two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters conduct a flyover during the ceremony.
“Garfield’s last words, when asked, why did you it do it — ‘someone’s got to care’,” said Mr. Dahlen. “Today, that someone is all of us here.”
Pfc. Langhorn is the only Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient in Suffolk County. His legacy lives on throughout Riverhead Town through multiple tributes, including a bronze bust at Riverhead Town Hall, a dedicated post office, memorials at the Pulaski Street School library and a Veterans Wall of Honor at Riverhead High School named in his memory. Riverhead Town designated the second Friday in October as “Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn Day” in 2022.
Nearly six decades after sacrificing his life to save his fellow soldiers, Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn returned home to his final resting place. Along the street named in his memory at Calverton National Cemetery, more than 200 people gathered Friday morning to honor the Riverhead native’s legacy. The Medal of Honor and Purple Heart recipient’s
Pfc. Garfield Langhorn sacrificed his own life to save others during a rescue operation in Vietnam. A Medal of Honor recipient who saved the lives of several fellow soldiers with his heroism in Vietnam was reinterred Friday at Calverton National Cemetery with full military honors. The graveside ceremony was held for Army Pfc. Garfield Langhorn.
NBC Long Island Correspondent Greg Cergol reports from Calverton National Cemetery as we celebrate an American Hero, Long Island Medal of Honor recipient Private First Class Garfield Langhorn, as he is reinterred 57 years after making the ultimate sacrifice for his country. The funeral services were donated by Mangano Family Funeral Homes. Watch NBC 4
Reinterment to take place at Calverton National Cemetery on July 3 Mangano Family Funeral Homes is honored to donate funeral services for Medal of Honor recipient Private First Class Garfield Langhorn, a Vietnam War hero whose extraordinary sacrifice saved the lives of his fellow soldiers and exemplified the highest ideals of military service. A graveside