NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — American Legion Post 125 held a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony to mark the events of Dec. 7, 1941, and honor veterans and Legionnaires who have made a difference in the community.

 

Before commencing the ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 7, state Rep. John Barrett III read a citation from the governor naming Legion member Dennis St. Pierre as the recipient of the American Patriot Award.

 

"Dennis has done so much for so long for so many veterans," Barrett said. "He made sure his friends were never forgotten and, more importantly, he never stopped giving … he was always there when someone needed him, and if he wasn't there he always made sure somebody would be there."

 

Wayne Soares, actor and veterans advocate, as well as a columnist for iBerkshires, presented St. Pierre with a bronze eagle statue and offered a few personal words.

 

"I have known him since I was 18 years old. With Bob Cellena [co-owner of the State Street Tavern with St. Pierre] he has been the biggest brother I never had," he said. "He has supported me through countless experiences … In a world filled with takers, he has always been a giver. He has been a force in my life."

 

St. Pierre, surprised, accepted the award.

 

"I don't have a whole lot to say because I am blindsided," he said. "Thank you all for being here."

 

Barrett also read a proclamation from the state House of Representatives honoring Legionnaire Thomas Lussier.

 

"He has made an outstanding difference in the lives of everyday people but more importantly veterans across this commonwealth and nation," Barrett said. "There has always been that slogan we must never forget … So it is appropriate that we have two individuals tonight who have not forgotten."

 

Barrett said Lussier frequents nursing homes to speak with fellow veterans. He also helps in a coat drive for veterans.

 

After congratulating St. Pierre and Lussier, Mayor Jennifer Macksey spoke noting with the tragedy of Pearl Harbor came a reignition of the American spirit that Americans must always aspire to hold.

 

"It was a day of loss, but it was a day of awakening of the spirit of our nation," she said. "To the veterans that are here with us tonight, your courage and unwavering commitment to the ideals of freedom and democracy, reflect that same spirit."

 

Macksey then spoke about an interaction she had with a young athlete the day after she attended the gathering for the return of World War II Army Pvt. First Class Bernard Calvi.

 

On Saturday morning, she was at the opening day of the North Adams Youth Basket Ball League. After speaking with one of the teams trying to pep them up, one athlete said, "The war is on."

 

Macksey said this struck her, especially after she had struggled to imagine the horrors Calvi faced.  Calvi, of the Army Air Forces, died on July 16, 1942, at the Cabanatuan Prisoner of War Camp in the Philippines.

 

The mayor said she pulled the kid aside and told him:

 

"You don't know what the war is, and I hope you never do. People who served in the war are responsible for you being able to go out have fun, enjoy your friends, and master your skills. There's no war on the basketball court, just competition." 

 

She initially feared she upset the boy, but after the game, the boy approached her to let her know he understood what she was talking about. He told her: "The game was not a war, it was fun." The young athlete, whose team lost, told Macksey that if it was war and his team lost, they probably wouldn't be playing again next weekend.

 

"I thought that I really scared the kid, but maybe I taught him a lesson," she said. "I think that's the lesson that we need to encourage in our kids and all of us," she said. "All of you who contributed to give us the freedom for those little kids to play week after week after week. We cannot forget that."

 

Legion Senior Vice Cmdr. David Levesque was the emcee of the event and gave the POW-MIA Table presentation. Before this, there was an honor guard. 

 

Attendees then watched a 1940s newsreel from days after the Pearl Harbor attack. 

 

Levesque said Post 125 has held similar ceremonies in the past before the pandemic. He said they decided to bring the gathering back as it is important to remember Pearl Harbor and its impact on the country.

 

"We like to get people together and we want them to remember. Everyone has busy lives and sometimes you have to pause," he said. "People need to remember that day. The tragedy and fierceness of the attack. Everyone here was born after. There may be a few who were close. But we heard about Pearl Harbor in school and that is about it."    

 

After the ceremony, Soares performed comedy. A dance followed.