Below is a collection of public events honoring Veterans Day. Know of an event that isn’t included? Feel free to email details to news@recorder.com.
Gill
The town of Gill will hold a special Veterans Day service to present a new monument honoring those who have served in conflicts since 1975. It will be held at the Veterans Memorial on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, will speak, as well as several others.
Montague
The Veterans Day Ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Soldiers Memorial Park on Avenue A in Turners Falls. Prayers and speeches honoring Montague veterans will be led by representatives from the Montague Selectboard, Montague Elks Lodge and the Soldiers Memorial Committee. This event is open to the public.
LAVA Center film screening
The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. in Greenfield will host a free screening of “In Waves and War” in honor of Veterans Day, veterans and their families on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m.
The documentary shows the impact of multiple combat deployments on three Navy Seals and their families. Jason Weaver of Freedom Café will facilitate an introduction and post-viewing conversation to process the film’s content. Prior to opening Freedom Café with his wife and partner Chrissy Weaver, Jason was deployed to Iraq and was later a Veterans Affairs peer support specialist for seven years.
The program is free to attend, though donations will be accepted on behalf of Freedom Café’s Pay It Forward program and meals for veterans. For more information, email info@theLAVACenter.org with “Waves and War” in the subject line.
Greenfield
The city of Greenfield will honor veterans with a parade on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The parade will kick off at 10 a.m. at Greenfield Middle School and proceed down Sanderson Street, then Federal Street, before turning onto Main Street and ending at Veterans Mall. After the parade, a ceremony will be held at Veterans Mall.
The ceremony will feature remarks from Mayor Ginny Desorgher and Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Services District Director Chris Demars. The ceremony will also include a performance of the national anthem, the playing of taps and the retiring of the colors. The Greenfield Police Department Honor Guard will be present, as well as local organizations.
“This is a day to honor our veterans and reflect on what it means to sacrifice for one’s country and one’s community,” Desorgher said in a statement. “I encourage the Greenfield community to join us for the parade and ceremony.”
“Serving in the military gives you a firsthand look at the courage and sacrifice of the people beside you. Veterans Day is our community’s chance to remember and pay tribute to their incredible dedication,” Demars said in a statement.
Sunderland
The town’s annual Veterans Day ceremony will return on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 9:30 a.m. Residents, Sunderland Elementary School students and teachers, and veterans from the Hale-Clapp Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3295 in South Deerfield will gather at the memorial honoring veterans outside Town Hall, located at 12 School St., for a flag folding and raising demonstration. According to Mel Williams, administrative assistant to the town administrator and Selectboard, Sunderland Elementary School Principal Benjamin Barshefsky will share a few words.