With a standing room only crowd packed into Old Hammondtown School to celebrate, remember, and commemorate veterans and their families, George Randall’s custom-designed T-shirt said it all, “Don’t thank me, thank my brothers who never came back.”
Randall, whose ability to inject emotion and meaning into words written and spoken decades ago, was once again a highlight of Mattapoisett’s Veterans Day Ceremony on November 11. Reciting extemporaneously, Randall shared parts of Longfellow’s Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, the preamble to the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address. Before leaving the podium, he said, “I want to thank all the Gold Star Mothers in the country.”
Randall’s daughter, Cheryl Randall Mach, stood outside the school with her horse, Honey, filling the role of caparisoned horse in silent tribute fallen soldiers.
Back inside the school, the Old Hammondtown School chorus, under the direction of Willow Dowling, sang patriotic songs as recorded background accompaniment spurred and caused difficulty. But as the saying goes, the show went on and the children received rousing applause for their effort.
Two other highlights of the event were the surprise acknowledgement of Paula Butterfield for her 25 years of service as the secretary to the veteran’s agent and Col. Joseph McGraw, the event’s guest speaker.
Butterfield was lauded for her 25 years of dedicated service to Tri-Town veterans and their families upon her retirement. Congratulating her and thanking her for her unflagging efforts was Town Administrator Michael Gagne, Veteran’s Agent Barry Denham, Melody Pacheco, secretary to the board of selectmen, and Michael Lamoureux, Commander of Florence Eastman Post 280 American Legion.
Selectman Tyler Macallister, speaking on behalf of all the Tri-Town selectmen, said, “She gave her all to them,” while presenting Butterfield with one of several plaques and citations she received. Others came from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Massachusetts Senate, and the Towns of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester, along with one from Post 280.
In giving Butterfield the Post 280 plaque, Lamoureux said, “Only one other person has ever been given this honor.” Butterfield thanked everyone through tears.
Col. Joseph McGraw was introduced by Lamoureux who shared highpoints of McGraw’s impressive military career including recent advancement to full colonel before handing over the podium.
But McGraw had other plans as he stepped towards the audience and spoke directly to the children saying, “My remarks are prepared for these guys – the children.”
He spoke briefly and enthusiastically of his military experiences and work, noting that today’s military is interested in doing its job with “the least cost of blood and treasure…”
McGraw explained to the children that treasure was the nation’s resource and in his mind that included people, not only those enlisted in military service, but also the families and friends of military personnel.
“We pay a price for our freedom,” McGraw told the assembled and again noted the part families played. He spoke of the hardest deployment he ever had. That deployment was when his wife, also in the military, was sent to the Middle East and he was left at home with their children. With humor, he spoke of the hard work of being a single parent when a spouse is away defending the nation.
McGraw asked the children what Veterans Day was all about. Several children gave thoughtful responses with one child saying, “To honor everybody who have fought for freedom.”
McGraw rounded out his comments by saying that we all had a responsibility to the country to do what we could – not just through military service, but through community participation and involvement.
Old Hammondtown School band, under the direction of Emily LaFleur, played “The Star Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.”
After the ceremony ended, the community was invited to witness a decommissioning ceremony for American flags at Dunseith Gardens planned by Boy Scout Troop 53.
With Troop Leader Dennis McLaughlin looking on, the Scouts carried flags ready for respectful retirement to the waiting flames while “Taps” played softly in the background. The Scouts with solemn reverence carried over 500 flags to the fire.
One flag had belonged to a WWII prisoner of war survivor, Francis Sylvia. His daughter, Kathleen DeMello, gave the flag to the Scouts for decommissioning as she looked on.
Scout Leader Jodi Bauer said that Drew Robert had built three flag collection boxes as part of his Eagle project. Those boxes had been placed at the Mattapoisett Police Department, town hall and library. The public was invited to bring their old tattered flags to the collection sites. The Scouts collect the flags, fold them in the procedural manner, and then prepare them for their final act.
Bauer said that the Scouts had been dispatching flags for sometime but never where the public could participate. She hoped that several times a year the Scouts could use the property for this important service so that the public could witness this act of patriotic responsibility.
Scout Mat Kiernan said it was important to dispose of American flags in a respectful manner, “You can’t rip them up and just throw them away like trash.” Amen.
The flag ashes will be interred at the Tinkham Scout Camp.
By Marilou Newell