FARMINGTON – At least 60 local veterans are expected at a recognition ceremony to be held Saturday night at the Farmington Baptist Church. The evening’s program will also feature musical performances in an effort to raise funds that will be given to the Franklin County Ecumenical Heating Fund for distribution to needy families.
The state-sponsored “Honoring a Veteran” recognition program will begin at 5 p.m. According to organizer Rep. Tom Saviello, the 60 veterans include 22 WWII veterans, and about the same number of Vietnam War veterans. Eight families of service members killed in action will be recognized, along with 17 purple heart recipients and three or four formers POWs.
The veterans or their family members will be receiving one of the following: gold star honorable service medal is awarded to the families of service members who have given their lives in defense of the country since 2001; Silver Star Honorable Service Medal and certificate is awarded to veterans that were former POWs, as well as to veterans who received a purple heart. The Bronze Star Honorable Service medal and certificate is awarded to the families of those service members that lost their lives in the line of duty and not in combat or combat support. Honorable Certificate will be awarded to veterans who served honorably during wartime for a war time certificate or peace time for a general service certificate.
The Frank L. Mitchell Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3335 will provide the Color Guard. The recognition medals will be presented by Saviello, Peter Ogden, director of the Bureau of Veterans Services and Major General John W. Libby.
“It will be a powerful night,” Saviello said.
The idea of fund raising to help those needing help facing the higher prices of heating oil came to Craig Hutchinson this summer. Jennifer Hutchinson said she and her husband, Craig, were attending a concert at the East Wilton Baptist Church when the idea struck him.
“It just came to my husband that we should hold a concert to raise money. The name even came to him there,” Jennifer Hutchinson said.
And so, “Turn Up the Heat!” was born in the warmth of August.
As for the veteran recognition program, Saviello was looking for a venue for the event and mentioned it. Organizers thought the two events meshed well and so the big night is Saturday.
The schedule for the Saturday, Nov. 8 concert series to be held at the Farmington Baptist Church on the Whittier Road, is as follows: 3 p.m.: Patricia Hayden, from Old South Congregational Church, and a Hymn Sing; 4 p.m. The Mueller’s, a nationally renowned bluegrass Gospel band; 5 p.m.Veteran’s Recognition Ceremony; 6 p.m. Baked Bean Supper; 7 p.m. Greater Purpose from Farmington Baptist Church; 8 p.m. Unite Ignite from Calvary Hill and Fayette Baptist Churches; 9 p.m. Widow’s Mite from Western Mtns. and Fayette Baptist Churches. For more information, call Craig Hutchinson 645-3210.
Veterans to be recognized are: Ralph Adams, Theone Fernald, David Morgan, Russell Austin, Dan Fonesca, Ryan Morgan, Robert Beane, Ron Greco, Thomas Mowat, Charles Bennett, Andrew Grerrier, Albert Niles, Robert Benoit, Lincoln Grush, Duane Norton, Lawrence Bilodeau, Earl Hawkins, Lewis Parlin, Nunzio Biondello, James Hayes, Girad Perry, Clinton Blaisdell, Palmer Hebert, Joe Perry, Robert Boucher, Weaton Holden, Bob Philbrick, Jim Bouffard, Alton Howes, Eugene Ploof, Wayne Bowles, A. Howes, Harold Roberts, Linwood Burchell, Forest Hutchens, Warren Rollins, James Burrill, Edmund Hutchinson, Erlon Rose, Peter Chamberlain, David Hutchinson, Joe Ross, Charles Chappell, Jerry Iannucci, Michael Savage, Cliff Chase, John Kirby, Milton Simmons, Dan Clair, John Knight, Steven Smith, Robert Cox, David Lane, Boyd Storer, Larry Curtis, Lawrence Lee, Westland Taylor, Leslie Dalrymple, Donald Lesuer, Francis Therrien, Bard Davenport, Tom Linder, Roland Therrien, Wayne Dubay, Romeo Langelier, Wallace Tripp, Andre Dube, Erland Masterman, Donald Tucker, Earl Egerley, James McKechnie, Bernard Vining, Robert Farrington, Frank Merrill, Michael Wadsworth, Larry Faulkner, Sandy Miller, Urban West, Francis Fenton, Alden Mitchell, Leon Winter.
