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Berkshire County Reflects on a Rainy Memorial Day
Staff WritersiBerkshires
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ADAMS, Mass. — Memorial Day was initially to remember the lives lost in the Civil War, eventually coming to honor all those servicemen and women who sacrificed for their country over more than 250 years.
Sgt. First Class Brian Bergeron, keynote speaker at Adams' observances in the Visitors Center, invoked the county's 21st century losses on Monday: Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel H. Petithory of Cheshire; Army Sgt. Glenn R. Allison of Pittsfield; Army Chief Warrant Officer Stephen M. Wells of North Egremont; Army Spc. Michael R. DeMarsico II of North Adams; Army Spc. Mitchell K. Daehling of Dalton, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Jacob Galliher of Pittsfield.
"We carry the memory of the Berkshire County residents who gave their lives in Vietnam. Young men like Specialist Kevin Hallam and Lance Corporal David Bory Fitzfield, and so many others from Dalton, Adams, Great Berrington, Lee, and towns across our hills, their names are etched on our local memorials, on our memorial skating rink, and on our hearts," he said.
Bergeron is an 18-year veteran of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, and was deployed multiple times for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. He is currently assigned as the regional team leader of the Western Massachusetts Recruiting and Retention Battalion, and serves as the Westover Recruit Sustainment Program drill sergeant.
"Those warriors gave everything for the country they loved, for the Constitution they swore to uphold, and for the people of the United States, who bask in the freedom provided them by these brave soldiers. Think of the young soldiers who left a small town much like ours, never to return," he said.
"So let us leave here today with more than words. Let us commit to live lives worthy of their sacrifice, to cherish the freedoms they defend, to teach our children a true cost of living, and to ensure that their stories are told, their names are spoken, their legacy endurance."
Adams had joined Dalton, North Adams and Williamstown in canceling its parade because of the cold, rainy weather. Instead, dozens of residents and veterans gathered at the Visitors Center to hear Hoosac Valley High students Sophie Wilson and Genevieve Lagess read "In Flanders Fields" and the Gettysburg Address, respectively. The Hoosac Valley band played "The Star-Spangled Banner" and Fred Lora, School Committee chair and retired Army lieutenant colonel, was master of ceremonies.
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