West Hartford’s annual Veterans Day ceremony, held on Monday, Nov. 11, was a thank you to all who have served, and a call for respect, kindness and community connections.

By Ronni Newton

Veterans Day is a time to honor all the men and women who have served in the United States armed forces, and speakers at West Hartford’s ceremony Monday not only expressed their gratitude to veterans, but also called for the community to respect one another amid the divisiveness in the country.

“None who served in a war zone will ever say we are ‘for war’ or that we ‘want to go to war,’ but when called to do so, we pack our bag and we follow the orders of our current Commander in Chief,” said Heidi-Anne Mooney, commander of the American Legion Hayes-Velhage Post 96, and emcee for West Hartford’s 2024 Veterans Day ceremony.

Mooney, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was one of the first two women to receive an Engineer Combat Arms Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) in 1994, when combat jobs were just opening to women. “In a time where so many are divided in our town over who is blue and who is red, or who has an elephant or a donkey sticker on their car … one thing remains: When Americans go to war zones and bullets fly by our heads with a sound none of us will ever forget, we all bleed red, white, and blue. … Let’s all get back to remembering we are American brother and sisters.”

Mooney paid special tribute to the “Greatest Generation,” noting the presence of WWII veteran and West Hartford resident Ben Cooper in the audience. Cooper, who will be 103 in December, is a former combat medic who helped liberate Dachau, and Mooney praised the action of those who served, as well as those who sacrificed in other ways during WWII.

“As we reflect on their incredible feats, let us also remember that the lessons of the Greatest Generation are not limited to a bygone era. They remind us of the power of unity, the strength of community, and the importance of selflessness. Their actions set a standard of service and sacrifice that remains a timeless example for all,” Mooney said, calling for respect for veterans and the carrying forward of their legacy to work for a more peaceful world.

Keynote speaker LaToya Fernandez Yagaloff – a member of the West Hartford Board of Education, a former U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal who served as an electrician from 2005-2009 and who currently works as a restorative practices consultant – said the skills she gained in the Marines are ones that she continues to carry with her. “The ability to stay focused on the bigger picture and to see the beauty in living a life of sacrifice for the greater good has been a guiding force in my life,” she said.

Yagaloff called for connection, for members of the community to be a “force of light. … Let’s make sure that West Hartford is a village where everyone feels a sense of belonging, is celebrated, and, above all, feels safe.”

After reading a passage from the Book of Luke, Chapter 6, entitled “Love for Enemies,” Yagaloff issued a call to action: “Let’s commit to being neighbors who stand up for each other in justice and truth, who stand alongside each other in solidarity and prayer, and who support each other, especially when we feel too weak to stand alone.”

State Sen. Derek Slap (D-5th), a West Hartford resident, said Monday when he was trying to plan his speech for the Veterans Day ceremony, and in the wake of the election, the term “e pluribus unum” – which translated from Latin means “out of many – one” and which is inscribed on U.S. currency – kept coming to mind.

“We have some healing to do,” Slap said. “I think that’s true no matter what side of the political equation you’re on. … and I think our veterans can help us do that,” he said.

“How do we get there when it feels so far from being “one”?” Slap asked. In the military, he said, service is a great leveler, and the old rules about wealth or other differences no longer apply when people work together as one. “There are no tribes of red or blue in the military,” he said, it’s just the American team.

Striving for e pluribus unum is possible. “We’ll get there, and I know our veterans will lead the way,” said Slap.

Mayor Shari Cantor was the final speaker on Monday, and after thanking veterans and those in attendance, gave a special shout-out to her friend Ben Cooper for his service.

“This year we observe Veterans Day with new leadership guiding our nation,” Cantor said. “Leadership transitions remind us of the strength of our democracy, a system built on the values veterans have fought to protect. We are privileged but not guaranteed to live in a country where freedom, justice, and the rule of law are upheld by a government that changes not through force, but through the will of the people.”

It’s the responsibility of those leaders to support those who have served. “They have given so much to us; we must strive to be worthy of their sacrifices,” Cantor said, for veterans’ courage and resilience to act in spite of fear. “Let us honor them not only with our words today but through our actions every day.”

Service, Cantor said, isn’t just a word. “It’s a lifetime commitment to a greater good.”

Cantor said she recently visited her 96-year-old Uncle Walter, who was an egg farmer in Ellington before being drafted by the U.S. Army to serve in the Korean War. Now suffering with dementia, he struggles to remember recent events, relatives, and friends, she said, but he does remember his time in the army. “My uncle has had a long and wonderful life filled with politics … music, gardening, and love for his family. And while many of his memories of his wonderful life have faded, clearly the memories of his impactful service to our nation are still strongly there in his mind.”

Her uncle cannot forget, and we should not forget, the contributions of those who have served this country, Cantor said. “To all of our veterans here and across the nation, thank you. Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, your example. Our country is grateful forever … It is important for all of us to uphold the value of their service, to set an example, and to connect with each other and unite.”

Past Post 96 Commander Moe Fradette and retired Navy Judge Advocate James Caley placed the traditional memorial wreath in the center of the Veterans Memorial lawn, honoring those who are are no longer living.

Mooney closed with a call to service, for people to volunteer to serve the country, the community, the schools, or youth. “If you are not volunteering your time in some way right now, consider taking up the call and doing just that,” she said. “I call each of you here today to action to serve in West Hartford and I thank those of you who already do.”

Several members of the West Hartford Town Council and Board of Education, as well as town staff, were among those in attendance on Monday. Color guards from Post 96, and West Hartford’s police and fire departments also participated in the ceremony.

Lt. Col. Sean Nolan offered the invitation and benediction. Conard High School junior Delia Canarie sang the National Anthem, and Zander Bos, a senior at Xavier High School in Middletown and a member of West Hartford-based Boy Scout Troop 146, played America the Beautiful on the violin, and sounded TAPS on the bugle as the crowd dispersed.

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