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Date: 11/3/2022
CHICOPEE/SPRINGFIELD – Community leaders and veterans’ affairs entities have planned a slew of events to honor Veterans Day.
Springfield will be hosting two celebrations of the holiday. On Nov. 7, Mayor Domenic Sarno, the Department of Veterans’ Services and the Veterans Activities Committee will host the Springfield Veteran of the Year and Parade Marshall announcement ceremony at 2 p.m. in front of City Hall, according to Sarno’s Communications Director for Bill Baker.
The event serves as a prelude to Springfield’s Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. at the Springfield Technical Community College campus and march toward City Hall. The parade concludes with a ceremony and wreath laying at the city’s Veterans Monument.
In Chicopee, Director of Veterans Services Stephanie Shaw said the city will host a series of events open to the public on Nov. 11. At 10 a.m., a memorial service will be hosted at Saint Stanislaus Basilica before the city’s annual wreath laying ceremony at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Plaza on Front Street. The ceremony pays tribute to veterans across each war with wreaths being placed at the different monuments featured in the memorial plaza.
Shaw said the wreath ceremony precedes a meal for the veterans’ community at the Knights of Columbus on 460 Granby Rd. at 12 p.m. Keynote speakers and Mayor John Vieau will host their speaking program at the lunch.
Shaw also highlighted the Veterans Day recognition event at Ste Rose de Lima Parish on 600 Grattan St. The church recently installed a memorial space to the veterans’ community at the St. Rose Cemetery and will be hosting a memorial event at a time to be determined.
Over the years, Shaw has witnessed a change in attendance for Veterans Day events. Events hosted by the city have featured less attendance as veterans focus on spending their day with family and loved ones. Shaw said the trend is a noble one, but it impacts the city from hosting their annual celebrations.
“I really like that people are taking that self-care time, but we always want to see greater attendance at city events. We are going to keep doing [the events] and honor the veterans that came before us,” said Shaw.