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Westport celebrates Veterans
Day. EverythingWestport.com Thursday, November 12, 2009 Story
quick links: Veterans Day ceremony at Beech Grove
cemetery. Flag Retirement ceremony at VFW on
State Road. Westport Council of Aging sponsors a veterans’
breakfast. View the photo album for all these
events now 61 photos | Dial-up
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veteran service organizations participate in ceremony at Beech Grove
Cemetery. Wednesday, November
11, 2009
“We always get a
good turnout today,” Westport Veterans Agent Ron Costa said. Participating in the service
were members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 8502; American
Legion Post 145; Disabled American Veterans Chapter 118; and Vietnam
Veterans of America Chapter 207. They were joined for the first
time by Westport firefighters’ six-member Color
Guard unit led by fulltime firefighter Daren Nunes. November 11 is observed in the
United States to honor veterans of the "armed services and to
commemorate the armistice that ended World War I in 1918. In 1954 it was
renamed from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, and given the added significance
of honoring all veterans. Ron Costa (below, left), Master
of Ceremonies, introduced Chaplin Emile Fuller (below, right), who then gave
the prayer.
It may be
unproblematic for most to forget the graying group of Veterans who did their
duty without complaint. But our country’s citizenry is now looking ahead with
worry and uncertainty as our new government is coming to grips with an
unpopular war and an undeniable terrorist threat that continues to see our
young men and women going off to foreign lands to protect America. We must
never forget the service of those before us who fought to preserve our
freedoms, or the challenges facing our armed forces today. “We’re losing our older
veterans at a troublesome rate,” Costa said.
Longtime Westport
resident Claude Ledoux is a veteran of the Korean Conflict. “I’ve lost a lot
of friends over the years,” the former Westport Selectman and Conservation
Commission Chairman said. “Some were lost in Korea. We must recognize the
people whose sacrifices have made our country great.” Service groups
unveil online networks. The Associated
Press reported a declining interest in younger people, saying, “The young
veterans will pay their dues, but won’t come to meetings.” According to Fox
News, “Veterans are increasingly looking to the Internet to stay connected.
The American Legion launched a social networking site last year on Veterans
Day called CommunityofVeterans.org to reach out to younger vets of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.” This generation of
vets were noticeably absent, except for one, at the Beech Grove service.
According to the Associated Press, “Some younger veterans are too busy to
join the groups or don’t identify with the older veterans, despite outreach
efforts.” Another web site
that is helping younger vets connect is: www.myvetwork.com supported by the Veterans of Foreign
Wars. Apparently, blogging and logging onto the web is a medium with which
younger veterans feel more at home.
Above, right: Honor
Guard Commander Geno Silvia of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 207
plays Taps for all the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice in the
service of their country. Honor guard members (left to right) Tom Oliveira,
Paul Lariviere, Harry Tripp and Dave Coderre stand at attention. “It's a day to thank our Veterans and remember their sacrifices,” Selectman Steve Ouellette said
as he spoke to the assembly at Beech Grove. Town Administrator Michael
Coughlin echoed his feelings in his brief address to the gathered veterans. State
Representative Michael Rodrigues added that “we must respect and honor those
veterans who are still with us as we do to those who have gone before us.” Rodrigues mentioned
it took a longtime for Vietnam Vets to actively participate in veterans
organizations. He feels it “will take some time for the Iraq and Afghanistan
vets to do the same.” The Vietnam
Veterans’ color guard unit performed their duty with a traditional 12 gun
salute and taps. Westport Veterans’
Officer Ron Costa who thanked everyone for coming and invited them all to
have visit the W.A.&R. Ouellette Veterans of Foreign
Wars Post, 843 State Road to participate in a Flag Retirement ceremony.
(See related story below).
Don’t ever be too
busy to have coffee or a donut with Westport vet. Call Veteran’s Officer Ron
Costa between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Town
Hall Annex at (508) 636-1028 for more information
about Veterans’ Day 2009. VFW on State Road performs Flag Retirement Ceremony. Wednesday, November 11, 2009
“It’s
a very symbolic and solemn ceremony,” past post commander Bob Ouellette said.
“We don’t do it for all the flags today, but the symbolism reminds us of the
service and sacrifice, and the respect befitting our nation’s flag.” “When the United States flag becomes worn, torn, faded or badly
soiled, it is time to replace it with a new flag, and the old flag should be
"retired" with all the dignity and respect befitting our nation's
flag. The traditional method of retirement is to incinerate the flag, but
this does not mean that one simply drops the entire flag (intact) into a
fire. We are not burning a flag; we are retiring a symbol of America's honor,
courage, and strength,” Ouellette said. Boy Scout Troop 100, Pack 100, a representative from Pack 8, and three girl scouts representing Troop 716, 1331 and 807 each played a part in the ceremony. Flag Retirement
Ceremony A flag ceases to be a flag when it is cut into pieces. A flag should never be torn up like an old bed sheet. It should be cut up with scissors or shears in a methodical manner. The U.S. flag is more than just some brightly colored cloth... it is a symbol of our nation. Seven red stripes and six white strips; together represent the original 13 colonies that gained us liberty. The red stripes remind us of the lifeblood of brave men and women who were ready to die for this, their country.
The white stripes remind us of purity and cleanliness of purpose, thought, word and deed. The blue is for truth and justice, like the eternal blue of the star-filled heavens. The stars represent the fifty sovereign states of our union. The American Creed states, "it is my duty to my country to love it, to respect its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies." “The U.S. flag should be treated with respect when it's flying, and should be treated with respect when it's being retired.” Ouellette said. “Therefore, we retire flags with dignity and respect when they become worn, torn, faded, or badly soiled. A flag ceases to be a flag when it is cut into pieces. We separate the 13 strips that represent the original 13 colonies, and the 50 stars to pay homage to the 50 states that together make up this great nation.”
Members of Boy Scout Troop 100 were guided by their scoutmasters in the proper procedure in the handling the ceremonial flag, cutting each stripe individually, and handing it off piece by piece to each scout present, to be dropped on the fire and burned. It was a long ceremony, one that instilled in all who attended a sense of civic duty and pride in our country; a remembrance of who we are as citizens of the greatest nation on earth. Each stripe was cut and handed to a veteran who disposed of it in the fire as Ouellette recited its meaning: First Stripe -
"The thirteen stripes stand for the thirteen original colonies" The blue field is indicative of God's heaven under which we fly. The stars, clustered together, unify 50 States as one for God and Country. Once the blue field of stars was placed into the fire, the ceremony was concluded.
Council on Aging hosts a veteran’s breakfast. Thursday, November 12, 2009 COA Director Mary Ellen Gomes
and her team of volunteers hosted a make-your-own waffle and strawberry
fiesta Thursday morning at the Senior center that drew a roomful of veterans
in one of the better turnouts for this annual breakfast. God bless our veterans
and God Bless America.
From the left: (1) COA Director
Mary Ellen Gomes is always in motion, always cheerful, and always helpful as
she and the Westport Senior Center hosted this year’s annual veterans’
breakfast; (2) volunteers made waffles on the fly; and (3) a great turnout of
our nation’s finest filled the hall.
Left: Westport veteran and ad
hoc historian, Dana Reed. Right: Another fabulous food event thanks to the
tireless efforts of the COA kitchen. - - - - - End - - - - - © 2009 Community Events of Westport
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