Riverhead Medal of Honor recipient to be reinterred at Calverton Cemetery

PFC Garfield M. Langhorn Jr. will be reinterred July 3 at 10:30 a.m. at Calverton National Cemetery, in Section 23 off PFC Garfield Langhorn Road, placing Riverhead’s only Medal of Honor recipient beside a road that already carries his name.

Langhorn, whose full name was Garfield McConnell Langhorn, was born Sept. 10, 1948, in Cumberland, Virginia, before his family moved to Riverhead. He was killed in action in Vietnam on Jan. 15, 1969, at age 20 after throwing himself on a grenade to shield wounded comrades during a recovery mission. His Medal of Honor citation identifies him as a radio operator with Troop C, 7th Squadron (Airmobile), 17th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade, and places the action at Plei Djereng in Pleiku Province, Republic of Vietnam. He remains the only Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient in Suffolk County.

Retired Army officer Timothy Dahlen spearheaded the reinterment effort: “He started this journey a soldier. Now, he’s going to be back with soldiers.” A court order cleared the way for the move the week before the July 3 date was announced, allowing Langhorn to be laid to rest at a national cemetery that already anchors military remembrance on Long Island.

Calverton National Cemetery, between Manorville and Riverhead, opened in 1978 and became the third national cemetery on Long Island. Federal rules guarantee eligible veterans military funeral honors, with an honor guard detail of at least two service members.

The Town Board renamed Maple Avenue for him in 2011 and later designated the second Friday in October as Pfc. Garfield M. Langhorn Day in 2022. A bust of Langhorn stands near Riverhead Town Hall, and additional memorials are at the Pulaski Street School library, Riverhead High School and a dedicated post office.