By J.W. Oliver
The South Bristol veterans memorial reads “To honor all veterans for their service to our country … dedicated July 17, 2015 by the citizens of South Bristol, Maine.” (J.W. Oliver photo)0 |
South Bristol dedicated a new monument to its veterans with help from Maine’s first lady and state legislators at the town office Friday, July 17.
A book with the names of all South Bristol veterans from the town’s founding in 1915 to the present – a list of more than 400 names – accompanies the monument.
A plaque on the monument reads, “To honor all veterans for their service to our country … dedicated July 17, 2015 by the citizens of South Bristol, Maine.”
The monument “will be a tool to teach our children the value of freedom,” First Lady Ann LePage said.
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Maine First Lady Ann LePage speaks at the dedication of the South Bristol veterans memorial Friday, July 17. (J.W. Oliver photo) |
“This is a testament to who we are as Mainers and who we are as Americans,” LePage said. “For all generations to come, everyone will know how much our veterans are valued and respected for their courage and sacrifice.
“They are true heroes, and each new generation of military men and women will know they are standing on the shoulders of all who went before them to defend this country, fight for our freedoms, and for freedoms around the world.”
State Sen. Chris Johnson, state Rep. Mick Devin, and Chris Rector, regional representative for U.S. Sen. Angus King, were among the other speakers.
Johnson talked about the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and suicide among veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“As we dedicate this plaque in honor of those who served and hope to know their stories, let us also pledge to live our commitment to them in our daily lives,” Johnson said. “Let it serve as a reminder for us to honor the veterans in our communities by how each of us seeks to truly see the whole person, the humanity, the strength, the courage, the trauma, and the internal struggles which only those who served in the same conflict may understand fully.
“Let us not be blind to the real and whole person who went to war and came back. Let us reach out to those who may be in crisis and help them find their way to be fully present among us and comfortably with us once again, as they deserve.”
According to South Bristol Historical Society Trustee Bob Emmons, society Co-presidents Kathy Stockwell and Ellen Wells planned the monument. Carol Kelsey, Mary Jane McLoon, Gary Pitcher, and Donna Plummer helped compile the list of veterans.
Plummer Excavation donated the rock, Stevens Memorials made the plaque, and Todd Lincoln built a display case for the book.
The society welcomes additions to the book and plans to update it yearly, Emmons said.
The ceremony also included a brief presentation to Korean War veterans of the book “Korea Reborn: A Grateful Nation Honors War Veterans for 60 Years of Growth.” The government of South Korea is distributing the book as a gift to veterans.
