The beautiful weather reinforced the spirit of appreciation and camaraderie during this week of when we honor our veterans. Renewing old acquaintances after several months of separation had the barn buzzing with conversation, laughter, and hearty handshakes.
A brief but powerful program was assembled by Chief Matthew Stone and his officers.
Members of HPD present (left) and past (right) were on hand to honor our vets. Police SGT John Remkus, who served in the Army’s oldest division started things off with the assistance of his daughter. Retired HPD SGT Glenn Dalrymple and retired HPD Chief Bill George caught up on ‘old times. Glenn and Bill are also Army veterans.
Veterans from all wars since WWII were on hand to enjoy the delicious spread of breakfast sandwiches and sweets.
HPD Matthew Stone welcomed all who attended and introduced the guest speaker – Colonel Brett Conaway.
COL Conaway, a 30 year veteran of the US Army (notice the throwback ‘brown shoe army’ uniform) and MA Army National Guard – and a SGT on the Natick Police Department – spoke passionately about the men and women who have served to defend our freedoms. The photo on the right shows COL Conaway re-administering the Oath of Enlistment to all the Veterans in the room.
US Navy CMDR John Benda, Commanding Officer of the US Navy’s “Old Ironsides” was presented special mementos from his Mudville neighbor Bobby Blair. CMDR Benda’s tour as CO of the USS Constitution ends in January 2022. His next duty station is Naval Station Newport – and he plans to commute there from Mudville!
Holliston will continue to honor its veterans with ceremonies and a luncheon on November 11th at 1100 hours – to correspond with the end of WWI.
Whether you’ve recently moved to Holliston, just moved across town, or have lived in Holliston for years – Holliston Newcomers & Neighbors is a place to get to know your neighbors and give back to our great community. HNN is a not-for-profit organization that coordinates charitable, civic, and recreational events and activities. And no – you don’t have to be new to be a newcomer. There is no time limit on when you can join or for how long you can be a member.
The Holliston Cultural Council seeks funding proposals from local artists, organizations, and schools. The Council provides cultural programming for a variety of ages and interests throughout the year, including music and dance performances, visual arts exhibits and workshops, and school-based events. Many events were still able to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Council looks forward to offering continued innovative events and workshops in 2022.
