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ACROSS THE CITY today veterans and others are marking Memorial Day with parades, ceremonies and quiet vigils. Most of these events will take place near memorials to those who died in the major wars that have marked this nation's history.
New York City's parks are home to more than 1,500 statues, monuments, markers and other works, many of them commemorating those who died in the line of duty. In fact, the city's official Memorial Day parade will end at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial, a large neoclassical monument on Riverside Drive at 89th Street.
Most of these monuments are under the care of the Parks Department. Each day a seven-person crew of maintenance workers removes graffiti, waxes bronze statues and repairs damage from vandalism, accidents and the elements. A smaller crew cares for the Central Park monuments, and five other crews remove graffiti from historic structures throughout...