Berkshire County Recognizes Veterans With Parades & Ceremonies
Mayor Jennifer Macksey and state Rep. John Barrett III unveil a new plaque at the Veterans Memorial Park that includes missing and corrected names. See more photos here.
"We are ensuring that the men and women who stood up to serve receive the permanent, accurate recognition that they have earned," Veterans Agent Kurtis Durocher said to one of the largest crowds in years at Veterans Memorial Park. "Every single name on his wall represent a personal story, a family's devotion and an enduring legacy of service to our country."
Durocher said he tracked down the names over the past year using old newspaper articles, radio interviews, and social media. He said although 169 names were brought to the Veterans Memorial Wall, there is still more to do.
"The reality is not all of our veterans are on the wall yet, and sadly, I don't know if we will ever catch every single one," he said. "But I promise you this: that I will continue to take names for our existing plagues."
Durocher hopes to install a new plaque honoring veterans who served outside of a war era. He encouraged residents to submit names and added that he is also working toward honoring National Guardsmen and Reserves.
Before Mayor Jennifer Macksey and state Rep. John Barrett III unveiled the new plaque, Michael Lewis, American Legion Post 125 commander, gave the keynote address.
"A veteran ... is someone who at some point in their life wrote a blank check for his or her life to the United States of America for the amount up to and including their life," Lewis said. "That is an honor. There are way to many people in this county today who no longer understand that fact."
But some do.
He recalled recent initiatives that included local students, such as McCann Technical School and Drury High School's involvement in the Hometown Heroes program. Local veterans attended a walk of honor at Hoosac Valley High School on Monday. He also showed stacks of cards for veterans he received from local childcare programs.
He spoke of ways the city and volunteers honor veterans, including Wreaths Across America and North Adams' designation as a Purple Heart Community. He recalled community members gathering at Hotel Downstreet to see the Vermont National Guard off.
Lewis called to action those gathered at the well-attended ceremony, telling them to get involved in veteran initiatives such as flag installations at cemeteries and donating to the veteran food bank.
Most of all, he asked attendees to keep veterans in their thoughts.
Macksey said veterans are what gives North Adams its spirit.
"Thank you for your courage your sacrifices your dedication and your unwavering commitment to protect our freedom that we enjoy every single day," she said. "... We have a proud history of military service and our veterans are an important part of our strength, character and spirit."
Robert Jerdan, commander of the American Legion Department of Massachusetts, spoke and said he was thankful to be invited to the "God's country" in Northern Berkshires, recognizing its military contributions.
"We gather here beneath the shadow of Mount Greylock. A landscape defined by quiet strength, endurance and resilience for generations," he said. "The men and women of these hills and valleys have answered the nation's call ... the Berkshires has always bred a special kind of citizen — resilient dedicated and willing to serve a cause greater than themselves."
Master of Ceremonies Mitch Keil addressed the crowd after a parade through downtown North Adams. He said people often look toward professional athletes, actors, celebrities when they think of heroes.
He said we should be looking toward veterans who are often reluctant to accept the label.
"True heroism is doing the right thing when duty calls, whether anyone knows about it or not," he said. "In our crowd today there are people who have pulled friends from burning vehicles, that have been wounded. Today they will smile and reluctantly accept a 'thank you for your service,' because while serving they have had their best days and their worst. Most veterans do not return home looking for recognition."
Veterans march in the Veterans Day parade to the memorial park in Pittsfield on Wednesday morning. See more photos here.
The sunny November morning was a stark contrast to last year's snowy conditions, possibly contributing to the larger turnout of veterans, families, local officials, and community members, Pittsfield Veterans Services Director Mark Pompi said.
The ceremony, organized by the Berkshire Veterans Coalition and the city's Veterans Services Office, was held in observance of the armistice that ended fighting in World War I on Nov. 11, 1918, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It also recognized F. Martha Green, a Vietnam War veteran and longtime advocate for veterans, as the Berkshire Veterans Coalition's 2026 Veteran of the Year.
Green, a Cambridge native, graduated from the McLean Hospital School of Nursing in 1967, entered the U.S. Army Student Nurse Corps in 1966, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps in October 1967, and was deployed to Vietnam the following year.
She served at the 6th Convalescent Center and later at an evacuation hospital until her discharge in October 1969. She and her husband, fellow Vietnam veteran John A. Green, moved to Berkshire County in 1970, where she continued serving in the Army Reserve Nurse Corps until 1978.
Since then, Green has dedicated decades to veterans advocacy, holding leadership positions with Dalton VFW Post 9566 and Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 65. She has also served on the Massachusetts Women Veterans Committee since 1987 and supported fundraising efforts for the Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Veterans Day is an opportunity to honor veterans for their service and sacrifices, but speakers also emphasized that those sacrifices often extend long after active duty ends, including the lasting mental health challenges that can lead to suicide if they do not get the support they need and deserve.
"We have several veterans and first responders that have succumbed to suicide because of mental health issues over the years," Pompi said. "I don't think there's a veteran in this crowd that didn't serve overseas that doesn't know someone that had some mental health issues that didn't get the care they need and ultimately took their own life."
Pompi emphasized the importance of connecting those who are struggling with appropriate care, highlighting services available through the Veterans Community Care office at the Silvio Conte Building, which he said offers walk-in assistance.
The support and recognition veterans receive today differ greatly from the treatment many experienced in the past, particularly Vietnam War veterans, who often returned home to hostility rather than gratitude, said William "Smitty" Pignatelli, who helped organize a proper homecoming for Vietnam veterans.
Pignatelli, a former state representative, reflected on the emotional homecoming, during which hundreds of residents, family members and supporters gathered at Pittsfield Municipal Airport to greet the veterans as they returned from a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit memorials honoring their service.
"Every one of these guys and women around the country have stories to be told. I encourage the young people to ask their grandparents, ask their neighbors about their experience. These are stories that need to be told, but they need to be learned while they're alive," he said.
State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier also stressed the importance of ensuring veterans and their families are aware of the benefits available to them through the Commonwealth, noting that their needs may change throughout their lives.
"Maybe you didn't need that when you first were discharged, but later on in life, life circumstances change, and you might need those benefits. Please take advantage of those, and importantly, your family has access to benefits, too," she said.
The sacrifices of military service extend beyond veterans themselves, affecting spouses, children and loved ones who share in the challenges of deployment, separation and the lasting impacts of service, Farley-Bouvier said.
"We in Massachusetts don't want to just say the word thank you. We want to walk that talk, and we offer those benefits to you, and we want to make sure that you get them," she said, drawing attention to services that help veterans apply for benefits.
Pignatelli offered a vision of a future in which Veterans Day could be observed without new generations having experienced war.
"I would love for one day we have a Veterans Day parade in Pittsfield, and there would be no veterans," he said. "Wouldn't that be nice? A Veterans Day parade with no veterans because we live in a world of peace."
"But it doesn't mean we should not carry on that tradition of honor and service and commitment to America."
Williamstown's chapter of the American Legion benefits from a recently acquired van used Wednesday to transport material from its Simonds Road headquarters to Field Park.
In addition to the honor guard and playing of taps, Ronald James talked about the meaning of the occasion.
"It is important to remember that veterans are defending us 365 days a year," James said. "The heroism that has been demonstrated time and again by veterans from the American Revolution to the global war on terrorism is sometimes unnoticed by many who enjoy the security that their service has provided."
James pointed to a quote from President George Washington on how preparedness for war can help ensure peace and thanked the men and women who have answered the call to make sure the nation is prepared.
"Not all veterans have seen combat, but all have, at one time made the solemn promise to sacrifice their lives to this country if called upon," he said. "Without the formidable strength that veterans have demonstrated in war, Americans would never enjoy their daily freedoms.
"For many veterans, our nation was important enough to endure long separations from their families, miss the births of their children, freeze in sub-zero temperatures, roast in faraway deserts, lose limbs and, far too often, lose their lives."
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