'A crowd of heroes and heroines'

One by one, the men and women gathered inside Memorial Hall in downtown Shelton Monday were handed a microphone to talk about their service to the country.

A 20-year Navy career brought one man to 31 countries. Another served on a mine sweeper during the Korean War. A woman participated in communications duties during Operation Desert Storm. A Vietnam veteran mentioned he took part in the United States’ evacuation in 1975.

With their loved ones, they were gathered to celebrate Veterans Day. Many wore caps identifying their branch of service and units, some festooned with ribbons. Some were adorned with medals.

Members of the Shelton ROTC participated in the ceremony. Everyone was served breakfast. At their tables, veterans found handwritten letters from Mountain View Elementary School students.

A letter from Devin stated, “Dear veteran, Thank you for your service and sacrifice. I admire your bravery and dedication to keeping our country sage and free. I am grateful to live in America because of you.”

Joseph wrote, “Thank you for protecting our country. God bless your soul. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. I am thankful for everything. I show that I am thankful by giving this letter.”

The guest speaker was Steve Ingram, who served 35 years in the Navy and retired in 2017 as a commander. The Matlock resident recently joined the Mason Fire District 12 Board of Commissioners. He called the audience “a crowd of heroes and heroines.”

Ingram talked about the origins of Veterans Day, which began as Armistice Day in 1918.

He offered thoughts and prayers to active military members and honored the sacrifices and hardships their families face. “God bless you, and God bless America,” he said.

The veterans and their families were also invited to a spaghetti dinner that evening at the 40 et 8 in downtown Shelton.

The veterans and their families also received fliers on Wreaths Across America, a national event that will be celebrated Dec. 14 at Shelton Memorial Park. Nov. 29 is the deadline to sponsor a wreath that will be placed on a veteran’s grave on that date. A donation can be made at http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/WASHPA or by contacting Melissa Fenton, the director of Shelton Memorial Park, at 360-426-2152 or [email protected].

The ceremony will be hosted at 11 a.m. Dec. 14 at the cemetrey, where 1,466 veterans are buried.