The Fall River Gold Star Family Candlelight Vigil was held on May 24, 2025, to honor Gold Star families and service members who lost their lives serving the country. The ceremony began with a welcome address emphasizing remembrance and gratitude, followed by an opening prayer from Reverend Andy Stinson. Attendees, including Mayor Coogan, city councilors, state representatives, and Reena Brown, commander of the Fall River War Veterans Council, were acknowledged. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, accompanied by bagpipe music. Gold Star family members were invited to share the names and ranks of their fallen loved ones; Lance Corporal John James Vanisen IV, killed on July 5, 2004, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Sergeant First Class Russell Smith, who died in Iraq during Desert Storm in 1991, were remembered. The city's graves and flag officer, Victor, played Taps, followed by another bagpipe performance. The vigil concluded with attendees lighting candles and cell phones for a moment of silence, a closing prayer by Father Rob, and an invitation for guests to depart or remain for quiet remembrance.
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Uh, I'd like to welcome everyone here, uh, in celebration of our Gold Star families and those service members who lost their lives serving this country.
0:10To honor and recognize our Gold Star families and those who have lost a loved one in military service and to remember with reverence the fallen heroes of the United States Armed Forces. Tonight, we gather in stillness and gratitude and remembrance.
0:26This candlelight vigil is a symbol of light in the darkness, a reflection of our enduring respect for the fallen and the families they leave behind. We especially recognize our gold star families who carry the weight of this sacrifice every day. I'd like to now welcome up Reverend Andy Stinson for prayer.
0:59I invite you to pray with me.
1:06Lord of love, on this high weekend, on this high moment, we call upon you that your presence might be with us, that you may come and hover over us with all of your grace and all of your love. As we lift up our thoughts and our minds in remembrance of those who gave the greatest sacrifice, the very life that you gave them for the love of their nation. Let us this night be about this
1:38sacred task of remembering and let them not be forgotten. That bless our assembly here and that that as we gather this night, your presence may be with us and in it to all of those who went before us, all of those who laid down their lives and all of those whom hover around us. May we that we may know their presence in in our remembrance of them.
2:09We pray this in your name of the Jesus the Christ that makes all things well. Amen. Amen.
2:24I would like to thank all of the gold star families here in attendance this evening as well as Mayor Coogan uh our city councelor uh state representatives and all special guests as well as uh Reena Brown the commander of the Fall River War Veterans Council. Thank you all for coming. At this time, I will be reciting the pledge of allegiance followed by bag pipes.
2:54I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
3:22Falling down.
3:55Thank you for that. You may be seated.
3:57I'd like to send a special thank you to VVA 207 and to Roland Thunder chapter 2.
4:05uh they have provided us with candles. This is my first candle light vigil here in the city of Fall River as a director of veteran services and I'm extremely proud proud to be here and be amongst you all to do something so special. Uh at this time I would like to invite a gold star family member uh for each of those that are lost that are here with us in attendance today to come
4:31to the microphone please and state your family member's name and rank and their operation. Please step forward. Anyone?
4:51Good evening. My son was Lance Corporal John James Vanisen IV. He was killed in action on July 5th, 2004, Operation Iraqi Freedom, his second tour of duty.
5:13My brother Russell Smith, Sergeant First Class, died in Iraq, Desert Storm,
5:281991. Thank you. I know there are others in attendance today that may not be able to make it here to the microphone. Uh and for you and your family member, I say thank you for their service and they will never be
5:51forgotten. Yeah. I off I offer a a short very short um thought. They are not forgotten. They rest far from home. Their stories live on in the hearts of those that they've known. As we hold these candles in our hands, let us carry their memory in our hearts. For light does not fade when it is shared. Sun's almost almost down. Oh yeah. Let's see. Let's find us something here. I think it would be more than
6:38befitting at this time to have taps played by the city's graves and flag
6:58officer. Come
7:06on, my robot.
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8:01Thank you, Victor. We will also have another selection by the back pipes.
9:07Thank you. You may be seated. And I think the sun has uh gone down just enough behind the clouds and behind the trees for us to show our light for those that we have been lost and those that have been lost in combat.
9:23So at this time, please turn on your candles, raise your cell phones, and share your light. We will have a moment of silence.
10:20To the families who have given this nation their greatest gift, a son, a daughter, a loved one, we are humbled by your sacrifice.
10:32Tonight we stand Tonight we stand with you in remembrance. May this light guide us toward peace, gratitude, and continued service. Although they are no longer with us, they will always be in our hearts. Father Rob, we ask you to step forward and offer us prayer.
11:07Please join me in prayer.
11:11Lord God, as we gather here today in this sacred space with these many monuments honoring our heroic dead, we remember, honor, and pray for those lives given and lost in service and defense of our country, fighting for freedom and justice throughout the world.
11:38We lift up in prayer these lives as well as all of our gold star families as we show our love and support to them. May they know that their tremendous and painful sacrifice is appreciated by a grateful nation.
11:58We ask your blessings and grace upon them as their loved family members have made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives for others, for liberty, and for our country. As we remember and honor them, may we be faithful stewards of the heritage that they have entrusted to us. as they gave themselves to advance the ideal of world peace and justice.
12:28May they inspire our efforts towards this same end. Unite the people of our nation to defend the freedom, justice, equality, and peace for which they lived, fought, and died.
12:43We also ask your blessings upon all those serving now, our veterans who have served, those who have prepared this ceremony, and all gathered here. This we ask in your most holy name. Amen.
13:03Again, thank you, Father Rob, for another wonderful prayer. As always, the formal part of this ceremony is over. Guests are invited to leave quietly, keeping their candles lit as they depart if you so feel so. You are also welcome to stay and sit. And remember your loved one. Their light lives on in us. I'd like to thank everyone for showing tonight, showing your support for the Gold Star families and the servicemen
13:35and women who have given their lives in defense of this country.
13:40Farewell and following seas as they say in the Navy.