Melrose Celebrates Veterans Saturday

By Debra Collar, Patch contributor

MELROSE, MA — "We chose this tree because our country’s roots are deeply engrained in the military,” Alicia Reddin explained while speaking about the project to honor women in the military. A crowd of about 30 Veterans, politicians, and members of the community, children and adults, braved the 30-degree weather outside City Hall in Melrose this Veteran’s Day.

Reddin remembered the day when the tree was planted and some community members had compared it to the television cartoon “Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree.” Since that time the tree has grown, as has the continued interest among the school children in the community, who look forward to the projects concerning Veterans each year. Saturday, a group of children were on hand who had helped with decorating the wreath and placed stars on which they had written words that described the Veterans.

A second ceremony took place at The Knoll in the city. Opening with the Pledge of Allegiance and a short prayer, The Melrose High School Band played The National Anthem, and a bagpiper was also on hand as a third memorial was unveiled.

Service men read from a speech that was inspired by Lisa Zanatta Henn’s letter to then Pesident Ronald Reagan. Her words were a tribute to her father, Private First Class Peter Robert Zanatta, commemorating the 40th anniversary of Omaha Beach.

Following today’s unveiling, residents remembered loved ones lost in military service or those who had served and have since passed, by placing a red or white rose on the memorial.. Each person stating the service person’s name as they walked up the podium.

The memorial bears theses words “We will always remember, we will always be proud, we will always be prepared, we will always be free.”

Photos by Debra Collar, Melrose Patch reader. Want to contribute to Melrose Patch? Sign up for a free account and start posting.