5.26.2025 - Global War on Terror Memorial Ceremony

Good morning everyone. It is so wonderful to see so many of you here today. My heart says thank you. Today's ceremony is about some of our fallen soldiers.

Life is so precious and we don't understand it till we see things like this happening which is devastating.

If I could have the color god present colors. Counselor Andrew Raposa, who is a uh liaison to the veterans, will be uh saying the pledge of allegiance as Victor Faras, our flag officer, raises the American flag.

I 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.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we held at the twilight last gleaming through the stars and bright stars through the perilous fight for the ramparts we wore.

watched were so gallently streaming and the rockets red glare. The bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that a flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave for the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Thank you all. You may be seated. Um, Father J. Maddox will now give us an opening prayer. Although, let us pray. Almighty God, we are grateful to you for all of your gifts and blessings.

We thank you especially for the gift of life which is so precious.

Today we gather on Memorial Day to remember four members of our community who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terrorism. Michael, Robert, Scott, and Eric. Father, we commit them once again to you and to your love and to your mercy. please you. They are now living forever in your presence, knowing that they did what they were called upon to do in this life and that that ended up being the

ultimate sacrifice, giving their life back to you. Today, although we mourn their loss continuously, we pray that you will watch over, guide, and protect all the young men and women who serve these days. Please give them the grace, the strength to fulfill their duty out of love for God and love for country.

We ask that people today look at the way they're living their lives and do everything in their power with your help to live them in peace and in the sense of being part of the community of life and love that you have created for all of us. You have blessed us with a beautiful day after all the kind of crazy weather.

It's a sign to us of your love for us and your care for those who have given their lives for the gifts that we are treasured to be able to enjoy each and every day of our lives. So Lord, we thank you for this day. We ask you continue to watch over, guide and protect all those who have served and all those who are continuing to serve us to protect us so that we might enjoy the

liberties and the gifts for which they fought. We ask that you watch over, guide and protect all our men and women in the armed services and watch over them each and every day as they fulfill their d their duty to country and to God. Amen.

Thank you, Father Maddock. Next, we have a word from the mayor of the city of Fall River, the Honorable Paul M. Paul Mitchell. Paul Kugan. I was hoping Thank you, Linda, Mrs.

Pereira. Um, I do want to say when we come out to honor four people that gave all for this country, the reason we're here is also to support the Gold Star families. What they went through, their sacrifices, their unfulfilled dreams, their wishes didn't come true. They did as much for this country as the people we're honoring today. And I think if you keep them in your hearts and keep them

in your minds, it'll go a long way. But what they have gone through, we all will never know till we till unforgettably and regrettably, we have to f um we have to find a way to make sure they fulfill the dreams they had for those for those brave brave warriors that kept this country free. And thank you everybody for being here today. This is another very very important ceremony in Fall

River's Memorial Day history and we will definitely keep it going. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor Kugan. I was thinking of Paul Mitchell, my hair products. I'm so sorry. I apologize. Um, next we have our veteran service officer from the city of Fall River, Doc Ferris, to say a few words.

Good morning everyone. Um, this is a a special monument for myself as a veteran of the global war on terrorism. Uh, I got to see firsthand what this particular conflict looked like up close and personal. Uh, I've treated its wounded. I've also laid to rest several of my own brothers and sisters in arms. So, I understand the importance of this particular monument here in the city. It is great that we are here to

honor those that are no longer with us that served in that war, but it's even better that we are here to support the gold star family members that they belong to. their sons, daughters, husbands, birthdays that will no longer be had, children that were not born, occasions that they will never attend. All of those things are why we are here today. It's because those members listed on this stone gave the

ultimate sacrifice so that we might be able to enjoy the freedoms that we have here today. To the service members in the back of the crowd, I see you. Thank you for being here to support us and to remember them as well. And with that, thank you. Our honored speakers today are the mothers of two of the gentlemen, young fellows I should say, on this wall.

Um, Robert's mom, Colleen, who will assist in placing the wreath. She's not much of a speaker, but we do have Scott Andrews mother, Mrs. Melo, who will say a few words on behalf of the Gold Star families.

Joanne, good morning everyone and it's such a pleasure to see all of you today.

Memorial Day is a lot of things to us, but it especially is a day of gratitude. It's gratitude for the boys here, Robert, Michael, Scott, and Eric, who said yes.

Who said yes when they were asked called to duty to give their lives. that yes came at a very big price. But we're here today in this very beautiful cro go grove who Maryanne Mardell had in her vision years ago and I every time I come here I just can't believe how beautiful it's becoming. year after year, it just gets the trees get bigger and it just gets more beautiful and it's I think it's

personally I think it's one of the best monument areas in the whole city of Fall River. But I'm glad that you're all here with us today and I'm glad that you've joined us and that you share that gratitude because it's okay to go out and have your barbecues and your your your cookouts with your family and everything. It really is okay because that's why they did this. They did this

for our freedoms and they want you to enjoy those freedoms. I know they do.

So, thank you for being here with us this morning. And just keep that gratitude in your heart throughout the day. Thank you to all the Ghost Star families that are here. Uh, honor God, our politicians, Father Jay, and thank you for all of you for being with us today. Thank you.

I would now ask the mothers of Michael and Scott to place the wreath. While they're placing the wreath, her name is Sue, but we all refer to her as Grandma, Robert's grandmother, who is here today in the audience. And we're so glad you were able to be here. So nice to see you.

Automatic, if you'd like to close the ceremony with a few words.

My friends, let us pray. Almighty God, you have given us the opportunity to gather together family and friends and associates of the young men who gave their lives so many years ago now. And for those who continue to pre protect, guard, and safeguard each and every one of us each day of our lives.

We don't really know and understand until we have that opportunity to look at the sacrifices that have been made by so many over the years, including the four young men whom we honor and celebrate this day. As we do so, we ask you to watch over, guide, and protect all those currently serving for us. Keep them safe from all harm.

Give them strength to fulfill their duties and bring them home to you one day when their mission has been completed. We ask all of this in the name of the Lord. Amen. Amen.

Well, again, thank you all for attending today's ceremony. I'd like to thank everyone who came. Um, Father Maddock, our VSO, that's at the end. uh and Mayor Kugan, mothers, other individuals that I see in the crowd who also have lost a loved one. My heart goes out to you.

Thank you to military and thank you to our fire um honor God. They've been wonderful.

And of course our veterans flag officer and Dave Lavoy from city hall who put all this together um to make it a wonderful ceremony. A special thank to my colleagues on the council. This is called teamwork and I thank them both um for helping me in participating in putting this program together. Now I would ask our flag officer who also does double duty as our bugle player to play taps. Mr. Faras