NORTHAMPTON — To honor those who served their country this Veterans Day, scores of veterans and members of veterans’ organizations — some driving in vintage military Jeeps or riding motorcycles — made their way from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8006 to a ceremony at Trinity Park Wednesday afternoon.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class Robert Roy, the keynote speaker at this year’s Veterans Day ceremony, served on the USS Puget Sound through hostile and violent encounters across the Mediterranean Sea, including the 1982 Lebanon War and various conflicts surrounding Beirut.
When a 1983 terrorist bombing of U.S. Marine Battalion Landing Team headquarters in Beirut killed 241 U.S. service members, Roy volunteered at the recovery effort, helping to extract survivors from the barracks.
“We would not be standing here today without America’s proud soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, Coast Guard men, and don’t forget space patrol’s desire to liberate others from the dark grip of oppression and fear,” Roy said to the crowd at Trinity Park. “Their quest for freedom echoes on the battlefield of Europe, the beaches of Normandy, on the islands of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, throughout the jungles of Vietnam, the deserts of the Middle East and through the mountainous terrains of Afghanistan.”
While the annual VFW parade and ceremony provides civilians an opportunity to honor active and former U.S. military, it brings many of the veterans in attendance a sense of community and camaraderie.
Michael Purcell, a Combat Veterans’ Motorcycle Association member who served in conflicts across Lebanon and Grenada from 1980 to 1984, explained that veterans, whether they served in the Vietnam War or the War in Afghanistan, all share a similar discipline for service and love of country.
“In the military, it’s the same regimented training to get us prepared for protecting the country — it’s the liberty and justice for all… that’s what the country is all about, from the beginning, since 1776,” Purcell said. “It’s so important. Veterans Day is important to remember those who have fought in wars or, whether they were in war or not, served our country.”
Another veteran, Keith Paro, who walked alongside his emotional support dog during the parade, now works as a peer support specialist with Soldier On, a nonprofit committed to ending veteran homelessness and combating addiction.
After serving as part of a medical battalion at Fort Bragg in North Carolina (renamed Fort Liberty in 2022), Paro said he experienced a time of homelessness and despondency when he returned home.
“It’s a good stepping stone to get your life back together, if you use it,” Paro said of Soldier On.
Others, such as Ronnie Rogers, of the Elks Club, who served in the Army National Guard for eight years between the Korean War and the escalation of the war in Vietnam, said the annual parade gives him an excuse to catch up with other veterans he hadn’t seen in years.
Before the VFW Color Guard performed a rendition of “taps,” the 24-note bugle call to signal “lights out” on military bases and fired a rifle salute into the air, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra read a proclamation declaring Veterans Day in Northampton.
“It is the duty of all civilians to respect and to honor those who have defended our freedoms by making selfless sacrifices on our behalf during peace and also during times of war,” Sciarra said. “These brave men and women who have served and protected the United States come from all walks of life, and we know them as our family members and our friends and our neighbors and our coworkers and they all play a very important role in our community.”
In Amherst, those speaking at the Veterans Day ceremony, held on the North Common in front of Town Hall, emphasized the importance of having veterans build connections with each other and the larger community, and being aware of the support services available.
“Reach out to another veteran, stay connected, join the conversation and be there for one another,” said keynote speaker Norman Sproehnle, a U.S. Navy veteran.
A Pennsylvania native who came to Amherst in 2010, and now works for ISO New England, Sproehnle’s military service ran from 1996 to 2002 as a nuclear electronics technician onboard a fast attack submarine.
Speaking at the podium set up in front of the American Legion Post 148 Color Guard, Sproehnle said the greatest strength he found wasn’t from the military equipment, but from his colleagues.
“Today, we honor all who serve,” Sproehnle said.
He concluded his remarks by offering well wishes.
“Wherever you go, may Godspeed,” Sproehnle said.
Council President Mandi Jo Hanneke reflected on how too often people forget about the service of veterans and are unaware of why Nov. 11 is marked to commemorate the end of World War I 108 years ago.
“It is our duty to ensure we always remember why it is at this day and hour that we gather,” Hanneke said
Hanneke said her father has gone to Washington, D.C. to trace the names of fallen soldiers on memorial walls and she has watched him plant an American flag at the Fort McHenry National Monument.
But Hanneke said the town has a responsibility to veterans all 365 days a year, encouraging people to contact veterans services so they can get the health care and other benefits they are entitled to. Hanneke added that social spaces are also important, such as the Veterans and Community Breakfast held on the first and third Fridays.
The message was also brought by Lee Barstow, the minster at Leverett Congregational Church, whose invocation and benediction suggested finding new ways to honor and express deep gratitude for veterans’ service.
Both the National Anthem and “The Road Home” were performed at the ceremony by 10 students in the Amherst Regional High School Chorale, under the direction of Todd Fruth. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by ceremony emcee Xavier Superneau, a veterans service officer.
As has become custom, Veterans Day began with a breakfast in which veterans, families and community members were invited to engage in conversation at the Bangs Community Center.
Pancakes were prepared by staff with the town’s Senior Services and Recreation departments, with an assortment of other food and beverages available.
“The idea is to have a connection point for veterans and to have conversations,” said Eugene Herman, who has been organizing the breakfasts, and read haiku poetry written by a poet who lost a brother in the Vietnam War.
Senior Services Director Dan Garcia spoke about his friend, Charles B. Kitowski III, who lost his life during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2007. In placing a photo and medallion with Kitowkis’ likeness on a nearby table, Garcia said he wanted to offer appreciation for the service of all veterans.
