Most of the 80 people in the American Legion Post 440 parking lot Wednesday morning had no doubt been through the rituals before – the Pledge of Allegiance, the speeches from elected officials, the playing of Taps. But they stood through the wind and chill as a tangible demonstration of their respect.
“The only way to truly honor the brave deeds of our brothers and sisters is with deeds themselves,” said Dominick King, a Marine Corps veteran and the president of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans of Massachusetts. “Patriotism can’t be an abstract idea.”
King and other speakers at the ceremony stressed taking action to help veterans, who make up one third of the state’s homeless population, according to Rep. Peter Koutoujian. He and the city’s other legislators – Rep. Ruth Balser, Rep. Kay Khan and Sen. Cindy Creem – stressed their support for a bill that will help veterans upon returning home.
King said the legislation would help veterans find jobs and give them better health care, including pre-service testing that would improve their chances of getting compensated for injuries received on tour of duty.
“You’ll get an MRI beforehand so the VA can’t say [an injury] is a pre-existing condition,” King said.
The legislation will also create a memorial in the State House for the Massachusetts residents killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. King said it would have a video monitor showing the faces of those who died, and would allow visitors to search for people from their hometowns and watch testimonials from their family members.
The memorial will benefit children touring the State House, King said, but he also credited the children at the ceremony – Newton’s Boy and Girl Scouts – for helping the troops. Their deeds included writing letters to servicemen and women overseas. King, who served two tours in Iraq, thanked the children for lifting his spirits.
“It really brightens your day and makes you feel better,” he said.
Mayor David Cohen praised former Veterans Agent Fred Guzzi and his recent replacement, John McGillivray, as well as the Legion for working with veterans of wars both recent and long-finished.
“As long as there are conflicts in the world, we will need veterans, and as long as there are veterans, there is a duty on our part to honor and thank them,” Cohen said.
Mayor-elect and Navy veteran Setti Warren, who spent 18 months in Iraq, attended the event as well. McGillivray joked that he was looking forward to working with Warren, even though Warren is a Navy veteran and McGillivray served in the Marines.
Warren, who wore his Navy jacket with patches and insignia, said he wanted to sit down with McGillivray after taking office and find out what the city’s needs are.
“I want to make sure we’re supporting soldiers who are part of the workforce while they’re overseas,” Warren said.
Alderman Carleton Merrill, who also served as the city’s veteran’s agent before Guzzi, said it was important for government officials to recognize veterans’ contributions. He recalled burying his father, who was twice wounded in World War I, without a flag for his casket because there was no federal Department of Veterans Affairs to oversee such matters.
But everyone needs to do their part, he said.
“All of us have a responsibility,” Merrill said. “If you see a veteran who has a need, step forward.”
