Millerton remembers its veterans

MILLERTON — More than 60 residents attended the ceremony held at Memorial Park Sunday, where veterans were commemorated with a grand ceremony and a six-gun salute.

The Rev. Herbert Day Jr. said the day was important to serve as a time of remembrance and to give thanks to those who served.

"Unfortunately, the only times people remember is on Veterans Day and Memorial Day," Day said. "This is something that we should remember every day."

American Legion Post 115 member and Army veteran Larry Sands said the holiday is important to also think about those who are currently serving in the war in Iraq.

During the ceremony, names were read of soldiers who came from Millerton and served in all of the wars America faced.

Brigadier Gen. Guy Sands, guest speaker at the event, emphasized small-town values.

"When I heard the names of those who served in [wars], so many of those family names were the same," Sands said. "I see how many people have gone to serve from a small town like this. I would say for those living here during World War II, I think Millerton was a fairly lonely place, with many young and middle-aged men who would go off and fight a war. But that’s what people in America do. We need to make sure that we remember sacrifices that the soldiers make."

He asked for a round of applause for the veterans who served in combat, which he readily received from the audience.

"They all deserve a lot more than that," he said. "Our soldiers got their values not just from our generation, but from their father’s and mother’s, and their grandfather’s and grandmother’s and so on, from the very creation of this country."

Legion member and veteran Sebastian Amato said the holiday is a way for the country to rededicate itself to its soldiers.