Veterans Day Observed in Darien With Brief Town Hall Ceremony

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Veterans Day 2017

A wreath is placed

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Veterans Day was marked Saturday with the laying of flowers and a wreath in the veterans memorial area in front of Darien Town Hall, where about 50 people gathered.

Veterans Day 2017

A wreath is placed

Phil Kraft of Darien again acted as master of ceremonies, and asked veterans of various conflicts, and veterans of no conflicts, to raise their hands.

A small number of World War II-era veterans raised their hands, a similar number who served in the Korean War and wars in the Persian Iraq and Afghanistan, and perhaps half a dozen from the Vietnam War.

Phil Kraft veterans day 2017

Phil Kraft, the master of ceremonies for the Veterans Day event, speaks

 

Kraft, also a veteran of the Vietnam War, asked people who aren’t veterans to turn to veterans standing nearby and thank them for their service, then and there. They did.

He mentioned that a veteran acquantence of his recently said he would like it much more if people told him, “Thank you for serving” rather than “Thank you for your service.”

Darien Veterans Day Ceremony 2017

Each person placing a flower or sprig of green by the wreath and small veterans monument first spoke about what the item symbolized.

In Darien, red, white and blue flowers and a sprig of green are traditionally placed by a wreath and monument honoring veterans.

Various veterans as well as newly elected Selectman Pamela Sparkman placed them this year. First Selectman Jayme Stevenson read a national proclamation praising veterans.

Darien Veterans Day Ceremony turnout 2017

About 50 people attended the event. They included at least a couple of veterans from nearly every war the U.S. has fought since World War II.

 

 

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