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Area Veterans to Mark Veterans DayBy Jen Thomas - November 10, 2007
 | | Courtesy of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |
NORTH ADAMS - In the face of an increasingly unpopular war, area veterans are banding together this weekend to honor those who have served the country.
With Veterans Day celebrations scheduled throughout the county Sunday, local veterans are taking time to remember those servicemen who sacrificed and defended their nation. But, for some, this year's ceremonies will be more solemn than usual.
"There's not meaning to Veterans Day like there used to be," said Michael Kennedy, Williamstown's service veterans agent. "Most people don't have any idea what it's like to serve, but a vet knows what freedom is about because the time you're in the service, you are not free."
"Look at those lives wasted. People were dying, are still dying today from serving 35 years ago. They're suffering every day and nobody cares," Kennedy added.
Reports released last week say the number of homeless veterans is higher than previously believed. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, on any given night in 2006, 195,827 homeless veterans slept on the street, in shelters or in transitional housing, and veterans, who represent only 11 percent of the civilian adult population, comprise 26 percent of the homeless population.
Such startling numbers are in stark contrast to how veterans should be treated, according to local veterans agencies.
"Veterans deserve to be honored and remembered," said William Bradley, Adams' veterans affairs agent.
"The real meaning - the real, true meaning - is what our boys have gone through. Maybe in some cases, people don't have respect like they used to but Veterans Day should be a time of remembrance for the honor of veterans and the appreciation of past, present and future soldiers," said George Sylvester, senior vice commander of Richard A. Ruether American Legion Post 152 in Williamstown.
For Kennedy, the loss of respect for veterans comes from a public outcry against war and a confusing of soldiers with the battles they fight.
"We're always in a wartime of sorts and I don't think we'll ever be out of war footing; we're always on the edge of war. Now, I'm not in favor of any war and anybody that is - there's something wrong with them," he said. "The problem is that people don't want to see anyone come home in their uniforms anymore. It's not the soldiers. Those boys were just fulfilling their obligations."
Kennedy is not alone in his concerns, however. In the most recent Pew Research Center poll, some two-thirds of Americans say there hasn't been enough coverage of Iraq veterans and the challenges they've faced returning home, or their experiences on the battlefield.
With Veterans Days events planned throughout Northern Berkshire, area veterans will find their own ways to salute their role in American history.
"At our Legion, you really see the veterans come together; it's the camaraderie that is formed with the members," said Sylvester.
In North Adams, where a parade down Main Street will begin at 10:30 a.m., a public celebration is a way to show veterans that the community recognizes its servicemen and -women.
"It gives you a real good feeling to see people line the streets, applaud and salute the flag," said William Schrade, the finance officer for North Adams American Legion Post 125.
Originally celebrated as Armistice Day to mark the end of World War I, Veterans Day is held annually on Nov. 11. Traditionally meant to honor any soldier who has served the United States, the holiday is also an opportunity to send a positive message to troops currently serving in the military, say veterans.
"We want to those in harm's way to know when they come back that people care about them," said Schrade.
Veterans Celebrations
In Adams, American Legion Post 160 will host a celebration outside Town Hall at 11 a.m., followed by an open house at the Legion.
In Williamstown, a small gathering will be held at Richard A. Ruether American Legion Post 152 on Latham Street at 11 a.m.
In North Adams, the parade will start from the American Legion at 10:30 a.m., move north on American Legion Drive and east (traveling along the south lane) on Main Street, then north on Eagle Street to the Veterans Memorial, where the ceremony will take place. |
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