Veterans Wall of Honor to be dedicated at Easton Senior Center Nov. 9 at 9:30 a.m.

Written by Brad Durrell
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 17:07

A Veterans Wall of Honor, recognizing Easton residents and those with strong connections to the town who have served in the U.S. military, will be unveiled during a ceremony next week at the Easton Senior Center.

The ceremony will take place Monday, Nov. 9, at 9:30 a.m. at the Easton Senior Center, 650 Morehouse Road. Refreshments will be served.

All local veterans and their families, as well as the public, are invited to attend. Veterans are welcome to wear their military uniforms, if they wish.

The Wall of Honor will include about 150 names on five panels or scrolls, and more names are being collected for a sixth panel.

Valerie Buckley, Easton Senior Center director, said the Wall of Honor will highlight how many people from Easton — and their close relatives — have served, or are serving, in the armed forces.

“So many people from smaller communities serve and I don’t think people realize that,” Valerie Buckley said.

The project began as a join effort involving Samuel Staples Elementary School, Helen Keller Middle School, the Easton Public Library, Easton Senior Center and American Legion Post No. 160.

Originally, two scrolls of names were created earlier this year to be temporarily displayed at the library as a way to honor deceased town residents who had served in the military.

When the scrolls were taken down after Memorial Day, the Easton Senior Center was asked if it wanted to keep the panels.

Buckley said yes, but there was agreement the scrolls should be upgraded in appearance and also expanded to include the names of local residents who had served in the military but were still alive. This has since been expanded again to include close family members of Easton residents, such as grandchildren, in the military.

Easton resident Mark D’Augelli has created a more attractive design, with images of American eagles, for the panels. The panels also have been framed.

At the ceremony, local dignitaries such as First Selectman Tom Herrmann and American Legion Post No. 60 Commander Tony Unger will be present. The main speaker will be Admiral Fred Golove, who served 35 years in Coast Guard. His talk is entitled “On Why We Remember.”