Reminding generations to come: Gill monument commemorated for veterans of post-1975 conflicts and wars

GILL — It was a monumental day on Wednesday as a new memorial honoring Gill veterans involved in military conflicts after 1975 was dedicated as part of a Veterans Day ceremony.

Veterans, Gill residents, town and state officials and others gathered on along Main Road on the sunny, cool morning to formally dedicate the monument installed in July, marking the first time since 1980 that there has been a new monument for Gill service members. That monument was for veterans of the Vietnam War and Korean War.

This new monument is dedicated to service members from post-Vietnam, including Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, along with those deployed as part of the Global War on Terror.

A number of people from Gill and beyond spoke about the importance of Veterans Day and the sacrifices made by service members and their loved ones.

To open the speaking program, U.S. Navy veteran Chet Kuzontkoski read the U.S. Armed Forces Oath of Enlistment. This was followed by a combination of veterans and non-veterans speaking to the history of each branch of the armed forces — the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force and Space Force.

“As the great Martin Luther King [Jr.] said, ‘I have a dream.’ Well, the Memorial Committee had a dream. It started many years ago with the collection of every Memorial Day in church, going to this fund,” U.S. Army Veteran Doug Smith said about raising money for the monument.

Smith, a Vietnam War veteran, and his wife Elaine Smith sit on the Memorial Committee, and Doug Smith said the two “decided to take it upon our shoulders” to secure the funding to afford the monument.

Merri Bourbeau, who chairs the Memorial Committee, said the monument cost $12,133, and local donations totaling $7,133 helped support the endeavor. A $5,000 grant from FirstLight Hydro Generating Co. from its latest round of FirstLight Sustains grants secured the last bit of funding needed to get this Memorial Committee vision set in stone.

Doug Smith gave thanks to FirstLight for its support of the project, to Elaine for drafting the letter to Community Relations Director Andy Brydges, and to Gill Town Administrator Ray Purington for bringing this grant program to their attention. Brydges was in attendance to see the dedication, sharing information about the grant program and highlighting its impact on grantees.

“We’re particularly proud that our FirstLight Sustains grants are solicited from within our communities to help with timely, identified needs such as this one, and support innovative ideas that we may not otherwise be aware of,” Brydges said.

Municipal and state officials also attended the dedication, including Selectboard member Charles Garbiel II, who read a statement that highlighted the closeness of Gill, the impact military service can have on the individual and their families, and what this monument will signify for years to come.

“This memorial will be here for years to come. It will remind us, and the future generations, that the men and women that served in the War on Terrorism are not forgotten,” Garbiel said.

Before closing the ceremony with a gun salute by the  Marine Corps League Oak Ridge Detachment and a crystal-clear taps performance from Northfield VFW Post 9874, state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, spoke to give greetings from the State Senate and House, as well as from Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and spoke to legislative milestones supporting local veterans. This includes the opening of the $465 million veterans home in Holyoke, and the Veterans Employment Opportunities Commission established by the Healey-Driscoll administration to help identify barriers to employment for veterans.

“We have much more to do in the commonwealth, but when we do it, we will be led by communities like Gill, by committees like the Memorial Committee,” Comerford said, “and by the commitment you have made today in the form of this beautiful monument.”