The Town of Huntington held a beach party Saturday to honor troops from the New York Army National Guard's 69th Battalion.

"It's really good to have something like this because, to be honest, some of these guys I haven't seen since I was in Afghanistan," says Spc. Juan Leon, of Massapequa.

The troops of the Fighting 69th received Freedom Salute packages containing the American flag, cuff links and a pin. Rep. Steve Israel later addressed the soldiers, praising their battalion, which has fought in nearly every American armed conflict, beginning with the Revolutionary War.