DiNatale Joins Community in Honoring Fallen Veterans (05/31/10)
Posted 2010-05-31 20:38:28
Group honors fallen soldiers
White Cross ceremony remembers those who did not return from battle
By Nick Mallard, nmallard@sentinelandenterprise.com
Posted: 05/31/2010 10:31:23 AM EDT
FITCHBURG -- More than 100 white crosses and one white Star of David lined Fitchburg's Monument Park Sunday, providing a visual reminder of what Memorial Day is all about.
During Sunday's American Veterans Lt. Gerald J. Barnicle Post 29 White Cross service, the crosses and star lined the lawn, a vivid reminder of the 116 Fitchburg residents who never returned from war, lost or laid to rest overseas.
The centerpiece of the annual ceremony is the roll call of the deceased. Master of Ceremonies Ken Jones recited each of the 116 names, with Post 29 member Kurt Olofson responding with "Not present, sir," and a ring of a bell in honor of each fallen service member.
After all 116 names were read, Provost Marshall Paul Dignard, overlooking the crosses in front of Jones, turned to the master of ceremonies to announce "Sir, 116 men not present."
Keynote speaker and former state Rep. Brian Knuutilla, D-Gardner, relayed a story of helping clean his mother's home after she had moved out, finding relics of his service in the Marine Corps and the somber importance of his dog tags, which he recalled were "sometimes the only thing that could identify troops."
Early on in his address, Knuutilla embodied the emotion of the 40-minute event saying, "Memorial Day is about remembrance."
Knuutilla's primary message was simple -- while it's common to say veterans in our minds through out the year, it's rare to see them being supported.
"Before Memorial Day next year, or before Veteran's Day or Independence Day, call a veteran and see if they need help with anything," Knuutilla said, urging the more than 100 people in attendance to lend a hand.
State Rep. Stephen DiNatale, D-Fitchburg, attended and spoke, as did Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, who thanked the city "for honoring our veterans every day" and said that during the past week, the death toll in Afghanistan reached 1,000.
The ceremony also featured a reading of Tim Murphy's "Freedom is Not Free" by Jones, an essay that served as a poignant reminder of what those who serve give up. Murphy, a Vietnam veteran, was also in attendance.
The event saw the placement of a pair of wreaths for the fallen and a "Salute to the Dead," which saw Green Beret Commander George LeBlanc fire a pair of shots into the sky for fallen servicemen.
In addition to the playing of "Taps," veteran Charles Hauler closed out the ceremony, singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" as many in the park sang along.
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