Honoring Greenwich's Veterans

Greenwich Avenue was awash in a sea of red, white and blue Tuesday as hundreds of residents gathered to salute the town’s veterans in the annual Veterans Day commemoration.

Dozens of veterans — many wearing their uniforms or hats designating the service branch and conflict in which they served — proudly saluted, sang patriotic songs and listened to tributes thanking them for their undaunting service during World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War and now serving tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Many of the veterans arrived in style, being chauffeured in cars loaned by the Malcolm Pray Foundation collection. Others were driven by veterans such as U.S. Navy veteran Carmen Moretti, who motored down The Avenue in his bright red 1951 Ford convertible ‘Rosie,’ with three compatriots aboard. They were all led with a Greenwich Police escort and the department’s honor guard.

The motorcade was part of the 2nd annual Greenwich Military Covenant of Care Community Walk to salute veterans, organized by resident Bruce Winningham, that ended at the War Memorial in front of the Board of Education headquarters. It was there that Winningham read the list of names of more than two dozen veterans attending.

The men fought on all fronts during World War II from Europe and Africa to Japan and Asia. “They were not just destroying (evil) … they recreated liberty in communities,” Winningham said. Others, like Moretti, served during the Cold War and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and Ed Vick, in Vietnam.

Vick said he was “honored to be here with those who are not veterans who came for a reason, an important reason” — to welcome home veterans and to thank them for their service.

“Greenwich is one lucky hometown. It is home of many of America’s one-percenters … there is another group of one-percenters, those who have served,” Vick said. “You are the one percent that really matters.”

• A photo gallery from the events can be found on the Greenwich Patch Facebook page.

Winningham also paid tribute to those who answered the call to duty following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He called attention to Ursula Healy whose son U.S. Air Force Maj. Russell Healy who’s preparing for his fifth tour of duty. He’s previously served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Healy stood alongside Laurel Forst, whose son Matthew, a U.S. Army Captain who’s served in Kuwait and at Fort Hood, was a Greenwich High School classmate with Russell Healy.

The 45-minute ceremony ended with a community sing-along of patriotic songs including ‘God Bless America.’

Many of the attendees then walked over to the World War I memorial at the corner of Arch Street and Greenwich Avenue where American Legion Post 29 hosted its 45th annual Veterans Day memorial ceremony that including the presentation of the wreath and a gun salute with volleys fired by members of the Byram Veterans Association — U.S Navy Korean War vet Walter Casey, U.S. Navy seabee John Zmarvack, Carl Jensen, also a U.S. Navy seabee and Marine Corp veteran Jim McMurray.

The Legion also presented its annual Youth of the Year award with the honor bestowed by state Rep. Livvy Floren (R-149) to Brunswick School senior Reed McMurchy.

Throughout the day, there were several other programs honoring veterans. Greenwich Public School students hosted several events with veterans in the schools. The day culminated with the Byram Veterans Association annual parade.

Photo: Greenwich World War II veterans at the Nov. 11, 2014 ceremonies. Credit: Barbara Heins.

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