Allison Park Photo
Flanked by fellow military veterans, 92-year-old Charles P. Gallagher, a man of tradition, stood solemn and steadfast against the relentless wind and rain, his Purple Hat standing in contrast to the gray waves of the New Haven Harbor that crashed behind him.
On Sunday afternoon, he an other vets, family members, and New Haven residents huddled together at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park on Long Wharf Drive for a wreath-laying ceremon, that served to commemorate men and women who died while in active military service.
The “V” upon which the wreaths and roses were placed listed names of New Haven area veterans who were missing in action, prisoners of war, and killed in action etched into the gray marble. The memorial had about 60 names.
Organized annually by the City of New Haven Office of the Mayor’s Veterans’ Affairs Advisory Committee, this year’s Memorial Day ceremony held special significance: 2018 marks the centennial of America’s involvement in World War I and the semi-centennial of the deadliest year of the Vietnam War.
Gallagher, a resident of East Haven, recalled his experience as a member of the 7th Division in World War II, the first division to take back Alaska property owned by Japan at the time. It is his valiance and bravery that earned him his membership into the Purple Heart Organization.
The Purple Hat is given to those who were “injured or wounded” while serving, explained Ron Vedroni, another Purple Heart Organization member and Vietnam War veteran.
On a day that many Americans treat as an excuse to throw parties and host cookouts, Charles M. Pickett of the Veterans of Foreign Wars New Haven reminded us what the day of remembrance really means.
When we acknowledge New Haven residents who served in the war, “history becomes very real,” said Pickett. “The world’s a lot smaller place” when realizing the personal connections many have to members of the New Haven community, he said. This remembrance, he added, “ebbs and flows through history and each other”.
The service’s featured a speech by Vietnam War veteran and former Sheehan High School English teacher Dennis Mannion, who served in one of the most brutal battles of the war. “[The organization] did a wonderful job,” he said. Mannion later echoed the importance of “remember[ing] the sacrifices made in standing up for our country.”
In addition to its role as a traditional day of observance, Sundayserved as an opportunity for veterans to reunite with others who live in the area.
“It’s the first year I’ve been blown over the wind!” Gallagher said with a smile.
Gallagher, Pickett, and their fellow veterans followed up with a second wreath-laying ceremony Sunday at the World War Memorial Flagpole on the New Haven Green, where New Haven Mayor Toni Harp spoked.
“[The purpose of today] is to remember how complete the ultimate sacrifice really is,” she said, paying tribute to not only to the who veterans stood before her, but also to all Americans, past and present, who contributed to American military efforts.
The second service’s guest speaker was Kevin Creed, Volunteer, CEO, and founder of Friends of Fischer House, a residential facility that provides long-term services to veterans and their families. A new house at the VA Medical Center in West Haven opened in April of last year.
Gallagher, Pickett, and their fellow veterans followed up with a second wreath-laying ceremony Sunday at the World War Memorial Flagpole on the New Haven Green, where New Haven Mayor Toni Harp spoked.[The purpose of today] is to remember how complete the ultimate sacrifice really is," she said, paying tribute to not only to the who veterans stood before her, but also to all Americans, past and present, who contributed to American military efforts.
War is a Racket
By General Smedley D. Butler
War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.I helped make Mexico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.During those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.
https://www.wanttoknow.info/warisaracket