by Kay Ogden
Georgetown
Please honor all our veterans and their families and help younger generations understand the contributions and sacrifices made by our parents and grandparents, and other family members, both in the past and present.
All of us are so fortunate to live withthe freedoms we have in the USA! All of our serviceman and wome who have proudly protected us, and are protecting us, have allowed us the freedoms that we have today!
Anywhere I go, I make a point to thank service staff for their work and sacrifices. I do this because I am very proud to be an American, and I remember, when I was younger, my father had served in the Army, Navy, and the National Guard, and I grew up being very proud of him. I also believe that during the 1930s, employment opportunities were scarce, and my father had the responsibility of supporting a wife and three daughters. He was a true patriot, an NRA member, expert marksman, and taught kids gun safety, proper handling, maintenance, and secure storage.
My husband Larry, Larry Ogden’s uncle, Charles Albert Ogden, was killed serving in the North Korean War, at the Chosin reservoir in 1951, North Korea. He received two purple hearts, during his service with the Army. He had just taken his vows to his bride a week before! I was shopping at Market Basket, and saw a gentleman with a Army cap on, and I approached him and thanked him for his service. He turned to me and stated, “you know, I don’t hear that too often anymore, and I appreciate you are thanking me!” This gentleman’s introduced himself as Dave Comeau, he is from Ipswich, and is the former commander of American Legion Post #225, of Topsfield, as well as district 8 commander, and is a Gulf War veteran!! I was glad that I approached him and thanked him, and he thanked me! Then we spoke for awhile, and found out, he is a friend of Doug Dawes, one of our selectmen (and current commander of Georgetown’s American Legion Post #211. It’s gentlemen like this, that volunteer their time to help others!
We should thank and acknowledge our servicemen and women for the freedoms they provide. Next time you see a service person, please thank them for what they have given us, and not to be taken for granted. ♦
