West Hartford’s annual Veterans Day ceremony, held on Monday, Nov. 11 at Town Hall.

By Ted Newton

With the theme “Honoring All Who Served,” West Hartford held its annual Veterans Day ceremony Tuesday morning at Town Hall to honor veterans and thank them for their service. The event, which normally takes place outdoors on the grounds of the Connecticut Veterans’ Memorial in the Center, was moved indoors due to the cold and windy weather.

Heidi-Anne Mooney, past Commander of West Hartford’s American Legion Hayes-Velhage Post 96, opened the ceremony by expressing her gratitude to all men and women who have served in the country’s armed forces, and thanking their families for their support.

Following an invocation from Pastor Dana Hallenbeck and the singing of the National Anthem by Delia Canarie, a senior at Conard High School, Mooney recognized two World War II veterans, Tony Allen and Ben Cooper, who were in the audience.

Allen, who is 97 years old, served in the Army, and as a singer entrained troops overseas to keep up their spirits. Cooper, 103, a former combat medic with the infantry division that liberated the Dachau concentration camp, has regularly attended past Veterans Day ceremonies. Mooney called him an “unbelievable hero,” adding “he’ll always tell you that freedom is not free.”

She said of Allen and Cooper and other WWII veterans, “These men and women demonstrated extraordinary courage, resilience and sacrifice, and remind us of the power of unity, the strength of community and the importance of selflessness. Their actions set a standard of service that remains a timeless example for us all.”

She then introduced Captain Marc Giammatteo, the keynote speaker. A town resident and member of Post 96, Giammatteo graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2000. In 2003 he was deployed in Iraq, where he led over 100 combat missions before being severely wounded in early 2004. After undergoing more than 30 operations and spending two and half years in rehabilitation, he was honorably discharged in 2006, awarded the Bronze Star for exceptionally meritorious performance and received the Purple Heart from President George W. Bush.

After thanking the veterans in the audience, Giammatteo mentioned two phrases he often hears: “Thank you for your service” and “You are my hero.” His responses to these – “You are very welcome” and “I am not a hero – I was simply doing my job” are ones he believes most, if not all, veterans feel as well.

He then focused on the three key words in these phrases: “service,” “thanks,” and “hero.” Regarding “service,” Giammatteo said, “we should all be thankful and proud that we have enough patriotic citizens who join our armed forces. It is a selfless act to defend the freedom and liberties of your nation, and we are indebted to all those who have taken the oath and served.”

Regarding “thanks,” he was reminded of the gratitude our citizens and nation now have for veterans, while acknowledging that has not always been the case. He also cited the town’s annual Veterans Day ceremony and its schools focusing the day on veterans as examples of showing appreciation for our veterans.

For “hero,” Giammatteo reminded the audience that any veteran is a hero for taking the oath and serving, with a special mention of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in combat or training accidents, or through fratricide or suicide.

He also mentioned other heroes, including the town’s firefighters and police officers, its CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) volunteers, and the doctors and nurses who treated him when he was injured in combat. He included his wife, Genna, who was a singer in the USO and performed for military service members across the globe and now works for Achilles International, an organization that helps veterans and other people with disabilities participate in marathons and other running races.

He finished saying ,“If you are a teacher, volunteer or really anyone who makes a positive difference in our town, state or country, thank you for your service.”

The next speaker, state Sen. Derek Slap, also a West Hartford resident, described Giammatteo as a model for others in service, and a hero. Returning from a recent family trip to Austria, a country that had been an empire centuries ago, Slap was reminded that nothing lasts forever and that our democracy is fragile. While the public has been losing faith in other institutions however, the public still strongly believes in our military and veterans. “I’m so grateful for our veterans,” said Slap, “not only for what they have done, but what they represent for us going forward – to show us how we can come together for our community.”

Mayor Shari Cantor, who followed Slap, introduced Town Council members, police and fire chiefs, and town executives in the room. She then paused to thank Ben Cooper, sitting a few feet in front of her. “Ben has seen the worst of humanity but has taught us all the best of humanity. I’m so grateful every time I see him, it just moves me to my core.”

She also thanked Giammatteo for “his courage, sacrifice, and continued service – from the battlefield to his leadership here in West Hartford, which embodies the very best of America.”

Cantor then reiterated the purpose of the day – to honor “those who have stood watch over our nation, defended our freedoms, and upheld the values that define who we are. Their stories remind us that love of country is not defined by birthplace, but by service – by the willingness to stand up for something greater than oneself.”

She recalled her father and grandfather, who were veterans, and mentioned that this year was especially personal because her nephew, who attended the Air Force Academy and served as an active-duty officer, transitioned this past week to veteran and is now serving in the reserves.

“Honoring our veterans means more than offering gratitude. It means carrying forward the legacy they defended with such courage. They risked everything to preserve our democracy, our freedoms, and our way of life. Today we have a solemn responsibility to uphold those same ideals – the rule of law, the freedom of speech, the right to vote, the right to worship, and the right to disagree.

“The freedoms our veterans secured rest on our essential promise that the strength of our military will not be turned inward against the people they exist to protect, a safeguard borne of experience, ensuring the instruments of war are never used to silence or intimate our own citizens. Always in defense of democracy, never against it. Our veterans served to protect liberty, not to endanger it, and we honor them best by remembering that distinction,” Cantor said.

“At a time when truth, civility, and democracy itself can feel under threat, the sacrifices of our veterans call us to be courageous citizens – to speak up for justice, to listen with empathy, and to safeguard the freedoms they fought to protect. Our veterans gave us the gift of liberty. It is up to each and every one of us to keep it strong – to defend not just our borders, but the spirit of democracy that binds us together.”

Cantor concluded, “To all our veterans, from every generation, every background, and every walk of life, we thank you for your bravery, your sacrifice, and your unshakable faith in the promise of America. May we, the beneficiaries of your courage, live in ways that honor your service by building a nation that is freer, fairer, kinder, and more united for all who call it home.”

Mooney returned to podium to ask the veterans in the audience to stand to be recognized. “I want to thank you today and every day for your service,” she said.

To close out the ceremony, Cantor and Giammatteo laid the Memorial Wreath to honor departed armed forces members. Hallenback then gave the benediction, the color guards presented arms, and TAPS was sounded by Conard senior Henry Drolet.

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