Melrose Observes Veterans Day on the Knoll
By Ellen Putnam
Veterans Day observances in Melrose, which kicked off on Saturday with the annual food drive to benefit veterans, concluded this morning at 11am with a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Knoll.
The Melrose High School Football Team hosted a lunch for veterans this weekend, and Deb Walz, along with the Veterans’ Services Advisory Board, hosted the annual breakfast for veterans at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School yesterday. Gately Funeral Home held their annual fundraiser for veterans at Giacomo’s on Monday evening.
Tuesday’s ceremony was hosted by the City of Melrose and the Veterans’ Services Advisory Board. It featured Melrose High School students singing the National Anthem and God Bless America; a prayer led by Melrose’s Lt. Norman Prince VFW Post Commander and Vietnam veteran Gary Brown; remarks by Mayor Jen Grigoraitis, Advisory Board Chair Colonel Robert Driscoll, and Veterans’ Service Officer Tammy Shovelton; and the opportunity for those gathered to share the names of veterans to be honored.
Other prominent Melrosians were in attendance, including State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian; Police Chief Kevin Faller and Fire Chief John White; former mayor Paul Brodeur; City Councilors Mark Garipay (who served as the City Council’s liason on the Veterans’ Services Advisory Board), Cal Finocchiaro, and Ryan Williams; and Councilors Elect Brad Freeman and Jason Chen (who is himself a Navy veteran).
Melrose High School Football Team members were also in attendance, as were scouts, who served hot drinks and snacks to attendees. Despite the cold and wind (and a few flakes of snow!), Melrose residents came out to show their support and honor the veterans in our community.
According to U.S. Census data, there are 630 veterans in Melrose (approximately 2% of the population), 150 of whom served during the Vietnam War (11 Melrose residents were killed in that conflict), and 182 of whom served in the 25 years since September 11th, 2001. While veterans may not make up a large percentage of our city’s population today, honoring their service and ensuring that their needs are met is still an essential part of who we are as a community.
