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Date: 11/20/2023
HOLYOKE — The Holyoke community gathered for the yearly Veterans Day ceremony inside the War Memorial Building on Nov. 11, put on once again by the Patriotic Events Committee of Holyoke.
The annual ceremony aims to celebrate the veterans who have served and/or are currently serving in the armed forces. The event emphasizes the city’s support as a community not just for veterans, but for their families as well.
State Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield) gave a blunt speech about the realities of war and the sacrifices made by veterans all over the country.
“A veteran is a person, at some point in their life, who wrote a blank check for an amount up to and including their life. That is who we honor today,” Velis said.
Velis added the fact that fewer than 1% of Americans serve in today’s military and said that war will remain part of the human condition as much as he does not want to admit it.
“Unfortunately, I think it probably is with us forever, and I take no pride or joy in saying something like that,” Velis said. “[In the past] I remember thinking to myself how very blessed we are today, young men and young women are still raising their hands to say, ‘I will serve.’”
City Council President Todd McGee read a statement from Mayor Joshua Garcia who was unable to attend the event.
“There are many ceremonial responsibilities that come with the job, but none are more humbling, because those who serve and those who will continue to serve took a burden and made sacrifices that I can only imagine. I am deeply grateful and indebted to you veterans and active-duty personnel for your service to the country,” Garcia wrote.
Local veteran and attorney Isaac Mass spoke about how the region’s veterans make up a larger portion of the population compared to the national average, despite a statewide decline in veteran numbers. Mass also mentioned the importance of resources for veterans, specifically considering the declining population.
Mass also spoke on the role the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home plays for the veteran community, as he serves on its board. He added it provides quality care without financial burdens for veterans and their families.
“It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve on this board,” Mass said.
Christopher Simms was honored at the ceremony as the city’s Veteran of the Year. Simms began serving in 2002 with the U.S. Army. His deployments included Iraq and Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division, and he earned several military awards including the Army Commendation Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.
Simms called the experience surreal and spoke about his commitment to honoring past veterans and influencing future generations positively.
“The primary reasons to do anything even remotely worthy of an award like this is more for the veterans that came before us, and to leave it better than (when) I found it,” Simms said.
State Rep. Patricia Duffy (D-Holyoke) emphasized her commitment to supporting veterans and talked about the importance of continuous efforts in order to enhance veterans’ benefits in the state.
“One of my most important roles in making sure that we’re living up to our reputation here in Massachusetts and taking good care of veterans,” Duffy said.