honoring those who fight for our freedom

May 26, 2008 at 10:41 pm | In barnstable, barnstable town council, centerville, janet joakim, janet swain joakim, memorial day, navy, parade |
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Today was a beautiful day for a parade and a celebration of life, honoring of service and offers of gratitude for sacrifice.

The Memorial day parade was well-organized, and yet again, a success.

There are people working behind the scenes every year who deserve appreciation.

Specifically, Steve Luciani should be commemorated for taking over the monument project when we lost Jim Childs. Steve’s dogged efforts to raise the money and oversee the building and maintaining of the monuments that honor local soldiers on the small triangle in the middle of the village of Centerville, should be recognized.

And, Larry “Sid” Chase who works so hard each year to make the event a success. Sid was honored by Town Manager John Klimm this year in his state of the town address for his quiet and steadfast dedication to caring for the needs of Barnstable’s veterans.

In typical form, Sid was spotted by one of our town councilors early one morning last week, quietly planting flags in a cemetery across town. It is his solo mission to be sure the graves of our town’s veterans are honored each year with a flag.

Thanks to Steve and Sid, and the dozens who support them, we came together today in our own cemetery; a scene that was repeated from town to town across this country.

The cemetery is often a place of grief and sadness; it is a place where many of us go to visit, and honor, and remember those in our lives whom we have lost.

And, on this important day each year we gather to honor and celebrate those soldiers who are among us today, those who have served – come home and are now gone, soldiers who are serving us now, and those whose lives were lost while fighting for peace and justice for us all.

Last year, the war came closer to home when the village of Centerville lost one of its own.

Sgt Alexander H. Fuller was 21 years old. He was member of the 3rd Squadron, 61st Calvary Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd infantry division. Sgt Fuller was one of two soldiers killed on in January 25, 2007 when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle during combat operations in Bagdad Iraq. Sgt Fuller left a pregnant wife behind. He will never know his daughter. But Aliciah Fuller, now an active one-year-old, will know about him and as a community we will all help her understand and be proud of who he was and what he gave for us all.

While we are in the midst of a historic presidential campaign where we hear candidates and pundits debate the war in Iraq, we must always remember that there are men and women who are living and dying in battlefields far away, every day.

Regardless of your position on this war, the people who are fighting it are there for us, so that we may be free to have these debates.

Many will come home with wounds we can see and wounds we can’t see. They deserve our gratitude — our support – and our honor.





 

An AP article in my email today:

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/soldier-suicides-hit-new-high/20080529195109990001

5 Comments »

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  1. My husband and I appreciated your post today. We are both veterans of the Persian Gulf War and understand and appreciate your respect for honor and sacrifice. We certainly have heard your request for gratitude for those who serve. You are every bit as deserving of gratitude, not only for your comments today, but for the wonderful contributions you have made serving as a public official. My husband and I hope that you realize how much you have given to this community and that we support you in your endeavors.

    Jack and I both commend you for your service and relay to you our sincerest thanks for all that you have done for Barnstable. We hope that you will spend another term serving and representing constituents that truly appreciate you. It can be upsetting to feel disrespected and for that we wish to extend our support.

    Please continue to work hard for the good citizens of Barnstable that appreciate your amazing work. Please let us know where to forward campaign contributions for your re-election.

    Comment by Diana and Jack — May 27, 2008 #

  2. thanks

    Comment by JSJ — May 27, 2008 #

  3. http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/gallery/new_england_war_dead?pg=17

    http://changethecoursecapecod.blogspot.com/2007/01/another-cape-soldier-from-centerville.html

    http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/news/freeze_frame/index.php/2007/02/08/young-pregnant-widow-mourns-death-of-soldier-husband/

    http://www.militarycity.com/valor/2517863.html

    http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/2007/02/07/funeral_held_for_fallen_soldier?blog=80

    http://www.wickedlocal.com/barnstable/homepage/8998966564136943615

    http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/02/07/soon_to_be_a_father_now_gone_too_young/

    http://www.iraqwarheroes.org/fullera.htm

    http://iraqnam.blogspot.com/2007/01/alexander-h-fuller-dies-of-injuries.html

    http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=10456

    http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/states/ma/

    http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/10946268/detail.html

    http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/01-07/01-29-07/17local.htm

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/casualties/2007-01-07-january-07-toll_x.htm

    update on Sgt Fullers widow and daugher:
    http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS/803200329/-1/SPECIAL17

    a story about the young man he was with:
    http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-me-balsley11feb11,1,4253274.story

    http://www.patriotguard.org/Forums/tabid/61/postid/403071/view/topic/Default.aspx

    Comment by JSJ — May 27, 2008 #

  4. …and let’s not forget the Centerville Civic Association who as a group - served over 400 people pancakes for breakfast - the money they make goes to families in need - thanks to all of you who had to go home and scrape pancake batter off of your clothes, hair, wedding rings etc….

    Comment by JSJ — May 28, 2008 #

  5. so hard to be supportive of our troops over there when I am so angry that they are there.
    Scott McClellen’s book was sold out, but it is making me so angry that he is now telling us there was never a true reason to be in Iraq.
    What a waste of life
    We need to save those people that are over there now and we need to give those people who have come back and will come back, WHATEVER THEY NEED!!!
    Damn Bush!!

    Comment by Anonymous — June 10, 2008 #

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