Linsky Speaks in Sherborn on Veterans' Day

The sun shone down on Sherborn this Tuesday morning as residents, veterans and members of the United States Naval Sea Cadets Freedom Division filed into the Sherborn Town Offices for a special Veterans Day celebration. The Sherborn Veterans Day ceremony, the townÕs second annual, provided an opportunity for residents to honor those who served and sacrificed for our country and reflect on the great courage of the veterans who survived to tell their tale today.

The service opened with an introduction by Ron Fernandes, chairman of the Board of Selectmen. In his welcoming remarks, Fernandes reflected on the significance and importance of Veterans Day.

ÒThis wonderful country didnÕt just happen. This is our day to say thank-you for the future youÕve created for your children, our children and our grandchildren,Ó said Fernandes, speaking to the veterans scattered around the room, some dressed in military attire, some garbed in suit and tie.

Following FernandesÕ introduction, the Color Guard of the United States Naval Sea Cadets Freedom Division, decked out in full naval uniform, marched into the room for the playing of the National Anthem.

Sherborn State Representative David Linsky made a surprise appearance, during which he praised and thanked local veterans for their service and commented on the democracy in action visible last week on Election Day. He also paid special tribute to Sherborn resident Judge Andrew Gill Meyer, a World War II Air Force veteran, who passed away last month.

The late Judge Meyer was an American hero,explained Linsky. He was a Sherborn hero and an American hero and he defended our Constitution first as a gunner and then as a judge.

The main segment of the program featured speeches by four local veterans- William Ford, a captain in the Army Air Force, John Stewart, a U.S. Navy veteran who served during World War II, William Newell of the Marine Corps and Ken Bowman of the U.S. Armed Forces. Each veteran recounted his wartime experiences, describing the grind of boot camp, the long hours spent waiting for an assignment, the thrill of finally receiving a call to action, and the long journey home.

Captain William Ford took the floor first, recounting his experiences as an Air Force pilot during World War II. Ford served 50 missions during the war, signing up for duty right after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, even though he was still enrolled as a student at Northeastern University. Both Ford and his father fought during World War II, Ford in the Air Force and his father in the Navy.

Ford was sent home in 1944, just after the successful D-Day operation.

John Stewart explained how he too signed up after Pearl Harbor, but was convinced by a family friend to graduate from high school before heading for basic training. Stewart sailed the world during his service and described how it was Òstrange going homeÓ after the war ended.

William Newell, who served during the Vietnam War, provided perspective on one of the military's most honored branches- the Marine Corps. He recalled how for him, joining the army was 'a great escape.'

The Marines for me was a great escape. I was a kid who got into trouble with school and was just angry and wanted to get away,' recounted Newell.

Newell explained that his tour in Vietnam took place after the signing of the Paris Peace Accord, which ended all United States military offensive actions in Vietnam and was supposed to cease fighting between North and South Vietnam. During his time in Vietnam, however, fighting broke out again between the North and South and Newell found himself in the thick of the action.

He recalled that the first lesson he learned during his time with the United States Marine Corps was, that we all bleed red.

The speeches concluded with the reflections of Ken Bowman, who served in the United States Armed Forces.

The Veterans Day program also featured a reading by Dover- Sherborn student Andy Dougherty, who won an essay contest in which students were asked to explain What Veterans Day Means to Me.

At the end of the Veterans Day ceremony, the words of Captain Ford best described the life of a United States Military veteran.

I dont think the war is ever over, it stays up in here, said Ford, pointing to his head.