Overview:
The annual Veterans Day parade and ceremony in Greenfield culminated in the unveiling and dedication of a new memorial honoring those who served in conflicts after the Vietnam War. The ceremony included speeches from veterans, the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, the playing of taps, and the retiring of the colors. Mayor Virginia "Ginny" Desorgher spoke about the importance of remembering the day's significance and honoring the service of veterans. The ceremony was followed by a Freedom 5K Walk/Run at Blessed Sacrament Church. A similar ceremony was held in Montague, with around 30 people gathering to pay their respects to those who served.
GREENFIELD — This year’s Veterans Day parade and ceremony culminated in the unveiling and dedication of a new memorial honoring those who served in conflicts after the Vietnam War.
U.S. Navy veteran Sandy Magill spoke briefly at the Veterans Mall Tuesday morning before a sheet was removed to reveal the monument adjacent to the one reserved for those who fought in the Vietnam War. The retired Navy captain said the new memorial is particularly special to her, having two post-9/11 deployments under her belt.
The main speaker was Gill resident Gary Bourbeau, a veteran who enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1969, at age 17. He recited the oath sworn by service members upon enlistment or re-enlistment and spoke of the patriotism exhibited by all who have ever donned an American military uniform.
“Some stayed in longer than necessary, than they had to. Some of us were discharged sooner than expected. We served across the country and around the world, and during the earliest years of our adult lives, and we grew up quickly,” Bourbeau said. “We all have a different story to tell, and yet we share this significant experience of answering our country’s call and wearing the uniform, whether green or blue or white.”
He reminded the dozens in attendance that Veterans Day is for all veterans, while Memorial Day is for honoring those who died in a war. He also spoke lovingly of his father-in-law, Richard Kimball, who joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1943 and was deployed across the Pacific Ocean before returning home safely after serving his country.
“To live under the privilege of its flag is the highest position of opportunity and achievement ever reached by a people,” Bourbeau said.
As the parade and ceremony were organized by the city and the Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Services District, Mayor Virginia “Ginny” Desorgher spoke about the importance of remembering the day’s significance.
“For many veterans, Veterans Day can pass by as just a day off, but we are gathered here to do what this day truly demands — to stop, to remember, and to actively honor those who served our nation,” she said. “On behalf of Greenfield, to those of you who served, thank you for everything you have done and do for our community and our nation. We owe you a debt that is impossible to fully repay, but we have a collective responsibility to try. That means more than just words of thanks once a year. It means honoring your service, caring for you and your families, and providing the support you have earned.
“It also means we have a duty to live up to the ideals that you fought for,” she continued. “The best way to honor a veteran is to be an engaged citizen, to participate in your democracy, to vote, and to build community worthy of your sacrifice.”
The ceremony also included the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, the playing of taps, and the retiring of the colors.
The parade started at Greenfield Middle School at 10 a.m. and proceeded down Federal Street before turning onto Main Street and concluding at the Veterans Mall for the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, all veterans were invited to the Greenfield Moose Lodge 997 at 20 School St. for free coffee and doughnuts. There was also a Freedom 5K Walk/Run at Blessed Sacrament Church at 1 p.m. The organizer, the Rev. John Williams, is Blessed Trinity Parish’s newest priest and a Marine Corps veteran.
Turners Falls ceremony
Just as the Greenfield ceremonies came to a close, the annual Veterans Day ceremony in Montague started at Soldiers Memorial Park along Avenue A.
Despite the cold weather and snow flurries, around 30 people gathered to pay their respects to those who served and those in active duty from the five villages.
The ceremony was led by Christopher Boutwell, who serves on the Montague Soldiers Memorial Committee, and featured speakers from the Montague Elks Lodge #2521, the Montague Selectboard, and Turners Falls Fire Chief Todd Brunelle, a veteran of the U.S. military. Boy Scouts from Troop 6 also were part of the ceremony.
Selectboard Vice Chair Richard Kuklewicz remarked on how it was good to see a turnout of people to give thanks to veterans and those currently serving, noting that veterans should be thanked each day for their service.
Throughout the ceremony, prayers were led by the Montague Elks, including the 11th Hour Prayer that Exalted Ruler Allie Cooke delivered, which urges those to honor the absent members of the Elks who served their country.
Cooke, who delivered the prayer at this ceremony for the first time, said it’s an honor to be present for honoring veterans each year in a small town.
“It’s really wonderful to see familiar faces, and new faces from town and from all over to come to the ceremony,” Cooke said. “I think it’s really special.”
In his remarks, Brunelle spoke candidly to his fellow veterans and non-veterans.
“To all the fellow veterans out there today, I would also like to say thank you for your service. But more importantly than that, I want to thank you for your sacrifice,” Brunelle said in his remarks, urging people to think about what veterans gave up to serve the country. “We can thank them for their service, but more so, thank them for the sacrifices they made to serve our country.”