Neir's Tavern opened in 1829 and is one of the oldest bars in the city, but for World War II Veteran William Burlingame it's much more than that.

"That's where my reception was in that place! It's still there," exclaimed Burlingame.

On April 27, 1946, Burlingame and his new wife Peggy held their wedding reception at the watering hole.  The celebration he describes is much different from one you'd typically hold today.

"You had a barrel of beer and somebody from the local delicatessen came with a basket of sandwiches and they wanted to know, who wants ham and they threw it to that table," explained Burlingame.

Burlingame served in the Army Air Corps during the war. When it was over he returned to Queens and proposed to his sweetheart. Peggy died in 2013 after a seven year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. But Burlingame says it's important for his family to see where they were married-- and that his wife would have loved visiting Neir's again.

"She would be amazed. She would be enjoying it," said Burlingame.

"I'm walking around saying to myself, I wonder if my mom stood here," said Lois Kirchner, Burlingame's daughter.

The 91-year-old says he assumed Neir's closed down over the years--as many businesses do. But he was pleasantly surprised when he saw a TV special on the bar.

So, he sent a handwritten letter to owner Loycent Gordon, sharing his memories.

"That to me, is the essence of Neir's. And that's why we need to continue this type of tradition, and not let place like this disappear," said Gordon.

Now, Burlingame's letter is part of the history of Neir's Tavern. Gordon put it up on the walls a few months back and says he has no plans of ever taking it down.

"That was the first thing I took a picture of, when I came in, was the letter. It was just so sweet that it's hung up there," said Arlene Burlingame, Burlingame's daughter.

And for Burlingame's three daughters, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, it's just a little memento of how their family started and where it all began.