The Senior Center hosted dozens of veterans and other guests on Monday to pay tribute to Watertown’s current and former military servicemen and women the day before Veterans Day.
The featured speaker at the event was a member of the Army Corps of Engineers in the Vietnam War, Russ Arico, who is currently serves on the Watertown Council on Aging.
“Watertown residents have served this country from its inception, creating this country and right up until today,” said Arico. He highlighted one Watertown family, the Ovoians, who had members who landed at Normandy in World War II, two brothers who served in Vietnam, and a member of the next generation who took part in the first Gulf War.
Arico said he was glad to see the parades and celebrations greeting members of the military after that war in 1991, which was something he and others in Vietnam did not experience.
He thanked the veterans at the luncheon.
“I’m proud that I’m a veteran, and thank you all veterans for what you’ve done for this country,” Arico said.
Former Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney, a member of the American Legion Post 440 Auxiliary Executive Board, shared the poem, “I am a Veteran.” Devaney added that her husband was a Marine and son served in the Army.
“Thank you veterans,” Devaney said. “Thank you for leaving a time of peace that you had in your home, and you went to foreign, foreign fields to protect our protect us, and we are grateful.”
City Manager George Proakis read Gov. Maura Healey’s Veterans Day Proclamation, and welcomed everyone who attended the luncheon.
“Welcome to our Veterans Day lunch. I appreciate having you all here and in honor of Veterans Day, and having a chance for us all to have lunch, gather, honor, respect and thank our veterans and have a moment to really appreciate the impact and the benefit that the service of veterans has offered to the United States and to us here in the Watertown community,” Proakis said. “So thanks to everybody here who is a veteran for their service and their continued involvement to the community and for coming out today.”
Proakis also introduced Jay Terminiello, Watertown’s new Veterans Service Officer, who also serves as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Coordinator. The former member of the Navy and Army National Guard started his new position in Watertown on Oct. 6, and has already met many veterans. He thanked former VSO, Patrick George, for all his work in Watertown,
“Since coming on to this role, it is very clear the heart (George) has for the veteran community and wanting to be there and work with us to continue advancing the quality of life for veterans in the City,” Terminiello said. “I would assume most of you agree with me when I say that the opportunity to serve in the armed forces was some of the best years of my life, and to be able to stand in a room with the generation that came before me, to be able to honor your service, I take immense pride in being able to do that.”
After lunch was served, each veteran at the event was presented a certificate of appreciation.
Lydia McCoy, Director of Senior Services, said the Senior Center has held small Veterans Day events, but this was the first time all veterans over the age of 60 in town were invited to attend. More than 400 invitations went out, she said.
“We sent invites to their homes, and did pretty big marketing,” McCoy said. “Now that Jay’s here with the City, we thought it was a good opportunity for us to partner and introduce veterans to the new Veterans Officer.”
For more information about Veterans Services in Watertown, visit the Veterans Services webpage (www.watertown-ma.gov/343/Veterans-Services), or contact Jay Terminiello at 857-202-0116 or at Veterans@watertown-ma.gov.