Ric Bruckenthal stood next to his wife, Patricia, Saturday as they observed for the first time a new memorial marker in Dix Hills dedicated to Gold Star families.

Heads tilted down, the Northport couple quietly reflected on the life of Nathan Bruckenthal, Ric's son, a Coast Guardsman who was killed in action in 2004 in the northern Persian Gulf. He was 24.

Both wore shirts with a U.S. flag embroidered on the back under the phrase, "Semper paratus," or "always ready" — the motto of the Coast Guard.

"We get a lot of support," Ric Bruckenthal said. "It's really nice."

The memorial, dedicated Saturday in a ceremony at Dix Hills Park, honors the lives of fallen service members from Huntington Town. The Dix Hills Garden Club, which spearheaded the project, and town officials formally unveiled the marker while honoring several Gold Star families.

Located adjacent to the roadway near the park's entrance, the memorial features a large boulder and mounted plaque that reads, "Gold Star Memorial By-Way." Flowers and plants surround the boulder.

The plaque continues: "A tribute to all Gold Star families" and includes the motto of the nonprofit America's Gold Star Families: "Honor — Hope — Healing."

The gold star signifies the death of a service member — "a quiet but powerful symbol of sacrifice," said Elizabeth Walsh, second district director for the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State.

Nathan Bruckenthal was the first Coast Guardsman to die in combat since the Vietnam War and "still the only one," his father said. 

In addition to the Bruckenthal family, relatives of three other families attended the ceremony to remember their loved ones: Marine Cpl. Christopher Scherer, of East Northport, Army Spc. Anthony Mangano, of Greenlawn, and Marine 1st Lt. Nicholas Manganiello, of Northport.

Officials also acknowledged Capt. Joseph Boccio, Chief Warrant Officer 4 John Engeman and Master Sgt. Christopher Raguso, along with their family members, who could not attend.

"By remembering and honoring Gold Star families, we acknowledge the courage and resilience of those who have lost loved ones in service to our country," Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth said.

Nancy Binger, co-president of the Dix Hills Garden Club, said the club's members raised funds for the memorial through plant sales, fund drives, raffles and luncheons. It was officially completed Friday.

She recalled how as a high school teacher she would impress upon students that, "A goal is just a dream with a deadline."

"And today, our club's collective goal has been realized," she said to the audience of veterans, Girl Scouts and other community members.

Her fellow co-president, Joan Enright, said the project follows two other memorials the club completed for Blue Star families in 2019 and 2022. The Bue Star represents families who have someone currently serving in the military.

Binger and Enright recognized Mike Sipala II and Mike Sipala III of Sipala Landscaping Inc. in Dix Hills for their efforts in completing the memorial.

"Their generosity with their time and talents is a testament to a true community partnership," Binger said. 

Rosemarie Manganiello said she decided to attend Saturday's ceremony to connect with other Gold Star families and feel their support.

She said her son, Nicholas, always reassured her he would come home as he began training in Texas to become a pilot in the U.S. Marines. But it wasn't a mission in the air that ended in tragedy, but rather a motorcycle crash involving an alleged drunken driver in 2022. He had just turned 25.

"I still get very emotional," she said.