HONORED
GUESTS, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, VISITORS AND ESPECIALLY ESTEEMED VETERANS; GOOD
MORNING, AND WELCOME TO SOMERVILLE AS WE GATHER ON HALLOWED GROUND TO PONDER
AND REMEMBER THE WATERSHED EVENTS OF NOVEMBER 11, 1918.
EXACTLY ONE
HUNDRED AND ONE YEARS AGO, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN LEADERS GATHERED IN THE CITY
OF COMPIEGNE, FRANCE, A FORESTED AREA THIRTY-SEVEN MILES NORTH OF PARIS, TO
SIGN THE ARMISTICE ENDING WORLD WAR I.THAT HORRIBLE CONFLICT HAD KILLED OVER
TWENTY-FIVE MILLION PEOPLE AND HAD LEFT ANOTHER TWENTY-THREE MILLION
WOUNDED.AMERICA SENT FIVE MILLION MEN AND WOMEN OFF TO WAR,OF WHOM 120,000
NEVER RETURNED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ‘WAR TO END ALL WARS”FAILED TO DO SO.
AS WE STAND
HERE TODAY IN TRIBUTE TO THE TWENTY-TWO MILLION UNITED STATES VETERANS,BOTH
LIVING AND DEAD, WHO HAVE PROUDLY WORN THEIR COUNTRY’S UNIFORM, LET US REMEMBER
THE SACRIFICES THEY MADE AND THE HORRIFIC CONDITIONS THEY ENDURED IN THE FIGHT
FOR FREEDOM AND JUSTICE IN THE WORLD. FROM THE SNOWS OF VALLEY FORGE TO THE
MUD-FILLED TRENCHES OF FRANCE TO THE FRIGID WINTERS OF EUROPE TO THE TROPICAL
HELL OF SOUTHEAST ASIA TO THE SCORCHING DESERTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST, AMERICAN
SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN LEFT HOME AND HEARTH TO ANSWER THEIR NATION’S CALL IN TIME
OF NEED. WE CELEBRATE THEIR HEROIC DEEDS ,AND MOURN THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE
SACRIFICE FOR THE PEACE AND PROSPERITY WE ENJOY TODAY.
THIS DAY
HOLDS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR ME, SINCE MY DAD AND MY MOM’S TWO BROTHERS
FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR TWO. THEIR LIVES WERE INTERRUPTED BY WORLD EVENTS THAT TOOK
THEM FROM BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY AND STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK,TO PLACES THEY
PROBABLY ONLY HAD READ ABOUT BEFORE 1943-HAWAII AND BERLIN. ALL THREE RETURNED
HOME SAFELY TO PICK UP THEIR LIVES AS BEST THEY COULD, NEVER BRAGGING ABOUT
THEIR WAR EXPLOITS. THEY WERE ALL PROUD MEMBERS OF THE AMERICAN LEGION. MY DAD
WAS A MEMBER OF POST TWELVE HERE IN SOMERVILLE FOR THE LAST SIXTEEN YEARS OF
HIS LIFE.THE “GREATEST GENERATION” IS A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF SOLDIERS LIKE JERRY
SULLIVAN, STANLEY BROS AND EDWARD BROS AND THERE ARE MILLIONS OF FAMILIES LIKE
MINE WITH SIMILAR STORIES TO TELL. I SALUTE THEM ALL TODAY AS AMERICANS COME
TOGETHER ACROSS OUR GREAT LAND IN CEREMONIES LIKE THIS.
VETERANS DAY
2019 WILL SOON PASS INTO HISTORY, AND OUR EVERYDAY LIVES WILL TURN TO THOUGHTS
OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAY SEASON.IF YOU ARE OUT SHOPPING AND SEE A WRINKLED FACE
WEARING A VETERAN’S BASEBALL CAP,STOP TO SAY THANK YOU, AND IF A FAMILY EVENT
INCLUDES A VETERAN, ENCOURAGE THEM TO SHARE THEIR STORY WITH YOUR CHILDREN OR
GRANDCHILDREN. WE CAN NEVER REPAY THE TREMENDOUS DEBT WE OWE TO OUR NATION’S
VETERANS, BUT IT WOULD BE A GOOD START.
I CLOSE WITH
THESE WORDS FROM AN ANONYMOUS POET, ENTITLED
THE NOBLE AND THE BRAVE:
A VETERAN’S DAY TRIBUTE
WHEN AMERICA
HAD AN URGENT NEED,
THESE BRAVE
ONES RAISED A HAND;
NO
HESITATION HELD THEM BACK;THEY WERE PROUD TO TAKE A STAND.
THEY LEFT
THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY;
THEY GAVE UP
NORMAL LIFE;
TO SERVE
THEIR COUNTRY AND THEIR GOD’
THEY PLOWED
INTO THE STRIFE.
THEY FOUGHT
FOR FREEDOM AND FOR PEACE
ON STRANGE
AND FOREIGN SHORES;
SOME LOST
NEW FRIENDS; SOME LOST THEIR LIVES
IN LONG AND
BRUTAL WARS.
OTHER
VETERANS ANSWERED A CALL
TO SUPPORT
THE ONES WHO FOUGHT;
THEIR
COUNTRY HAD REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE
ESSENTIAL SKILLS THEY BROUGHT.
WE SALUTE
EVERY ONE OF THEM,
THE NOBLE
AND THE BRAVE,
THE ONES
STILL WITH US HERE TODAY,
AND THOSE
WHO REST IN A GRAVE.
SO HERE’S TO
OUR COUNTRY’S HEROES;
THEY’RE A
CUT ABOVE THE REST;
LET’S GIVE
THE HONOR THAT IS DUE
TO OUR
COUNTRY’S VERY BEST.
THANK YOU,
AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS SOMERVILLE, SOMERSET COUNTY AND OUR UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA.