NORTH ADAMS - Veterans and residents battled a sharp, cold wind Sunday to remember the nation's servicemen and -women, past and present, on Veterans Day. It was a day to remember how ordinary men and women have continued to make extraordinary sacrifices to defend this nation.
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"The act of donning a uniform is a deeply symbolic act," said Lt. Col. Michael Hynes to the bundled-up crowd clustered around the Veterans Memorial on Route 2. "It is an act that expresses a deep and selfless commitment in the idea we call America."
Hynes, a graduate of Drury High School who enlisted in the Army in 1980, recalled the dedication and service of four particular servicemen: Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith, Pfc. Stephen Sanford, Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham and Lt. Michael Murphy.
Smith held off an attacking force outside Baghdad, sacrificing himself to save his comrades; Sanford was shot several times while trying to recover wounded comrades, holding off snipers then doing CPR on a wounded man until he passed out from loss of blood; Murphy placed himself in peril to call for help when his patrol was discovered by the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan and was mortally wounded as the helicopter rescue arrived; and Dunham threw himself over a grenade released by an insurgent in Kabul, shielding his colleagues with his body.
All extraordinary acts, but not surprising to those who've worn the uniform, said Hynes, battalion commander of the 114th Signal Battalion at Fort Derick, Md. "We are awed by their strength but not surprised. We expect our comrades to be strong and hard ... this strength is truly the strength of America."
That strength transcends changes in war, policy, uniforms and equipment, he said. Rather, it's a tradition of patriotism that's felt by every veteran, "an enduring quality" that was the same 200 years ago and that will continue a hundred years from now.
"Ordinary men and women have been performing extraordinary duty ... to sacrifice for others they may never know or may not agree with. Our veterans have taken the idea of a free nation and turned it into the reality of a free nation."
Yet even as GIs consistently top public opinion polls as among the most admired people in the nation, their sacrifices are too often forgotten, said Larry Brothers, District 1 commander of the American Legion.
"When Congress refuses to pass mandatory funding for VA health care, veterans are disrespected; when veterans are denied access to VA facilities, they are disrespected; when schools tell the military to keep the recruiters away, veterans are disrespected; and when a wartime Army general is called a traitor, veterans are disrespected."
Brothers said some quarter of the homeless population are veterans - nearly 90 percent of whom were honorably discharged, and 40 percent of whom served during the Vietnam War.
"Too often today's tattered citizen of the street was yesterday's toast of the town," said Brothers. "This is hardly the thanks of a grateful nation."
The American Legion has done much to support returning soldiers and veterans, he said, including providing help to families, traumatized servicemen and -women and those disabled. The organization has developed job fairs to help veterans find jobs and lobbied for better physical and mental health care. That includes the 1.2 million women who have worn the uniform, some of whom have given their lives in the war on terror. Breast and cervical cancer, domestic abuse and sexual trauma must be addressed, said Brothers.
"Know that when a soldier walks into an American Legion post, he is given the thanks of a grateful organization," said Brothers, adding that the group's leader has said, "if we put soldiers in boots and put those boots in harm's way, we must support them and their families."
He warned that as Washington wrote back in 1789, the future willingness of young men and women to serve their nation will depend on how they perceive past veterans to have been treated and appreciated.
Mayor John Barrett III was presented with a plaque for his "outstanding efforts" on behalf of local veterans. He spoke of how a picture on his office wall, depicting a family standing before the casket of "a father, a husband, a son" who died in the Gulf War brings tears to his eyes. He said there are Northern Berkshire families struggling with loss and they should not be forgotten.
"This isn't about whether we support a war or don't support a war," Barrett said. "This about [supporting] those who are there believing what they're doing is best for their country."
State Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, also spoke, American Legion Chaplain Louis Floriani gave the prayer, Paul Hopkins of Northern Berkshire Healthcare was the master of ceremonies, the Drury High School band played patriotic songs and members Michael LaRocca and Shawn Field played taps and response, and the Company C, 181st Engineers, were the firing squad.
Ceremonies were preceded by a march down Main Street of veterans, dignitaries and Scouts, all backed up by the Drury High School marching band as a small but hardy crowd waved American flags as they passed by.
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Armed North Adams Man Arrested Following Domestic Standoff
Staff Reports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Matthew Parker, a 44-year-old North Adams man, is set to face multiple counts of attempted murder and weapons charges in Northern Berkshire District Court on Friday morning following an hours-long, armed standoff at a Houghton Street home.
The defendant is being arraigned for:
Domestic Assault and Battery
Assault with the Intent to Murder (3 counts)
Carrying a Firearm While Under the Influence of Alcohol (3 counts)
Possession of a hi-capacity firearm (4 counts)
Improper Storage of a hi-capacity firearm (2 counts)
Improper Storage of a firearm (6 counts)
According to a report, on June 10, at approximately 8:42 p.m., officers responded to 365 Houghton St. following a report of a domestic assault and battery. The caller said she and her husband had been involved in a physical altercation.
She said her husband was intoxicated, making suicidal statements about shooting himself, and had access to both a shotgun and a pistol.
Upon arrival, officers made contact with both the caller and Parker. During the encounter, Parker threatened to shoot officers before retreating into the home and refusing to exit.
Officers believed that Parker was armed.
To ensure public safety, police established a perimeter around the home and requested assistance from the Berkshire County Special Response Team (SRT) and North Adams Police crisis negotiators. The Brien Center was also contacted and promptly provided an emergency mental health clinician to assist with the incident.
Special Response Team personnel deployed drones to monitor the residence and provide aerial illumination. During the operation, officers saw Parker exit the house carrying a rifle. He pointed it at the drones, stated a report. Parker subsequently pointed the rifle toward several officers positioned behind their cruisers. After officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, Parker returned inside the residence.
Trained crisis negotiators maintained communication with Parker for several hours in an effort to peacefully resolve the situation. At approximately 2 a.m., Parker ceased communication with negotiators.
Drone operators later observed Parker unconscious in a recliner on the first floor of the residence, with a rifle and shotgun on the floor nearby.
Members of the Berkshire County SRT then executed a coordinated operation. Diversionary devices were deployed through a window while an entry team simultaneously entered the home, secured the firearms, and took the defendant into custody.
A search warrant was executed after Parker was in custody. North Adams Police seized four shotguns, six rifles, two handguns, and thousands or rounds of ammunition from the home.
During the operation, one SRT member sustained a minor injury related to a less-lethal bean bag deployment. Parker also sustained non-life threatening injuries during the arrest and was transported to Berkshire Medical Center for medical evaluation.
"We thank the community for its patience and cooperation throughout this incident, particularly residents in the affected area who complied with temporary shelter-in-place requests," Police Chief Mark Bailey said. "The North Adams Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the agencies that provided mutual aid and assisted by handling calls for service during this incident. We are especially grateful to the Berkshire County Special Response Team for its professional and decisive response, the Brien Center for the rapid deployment of a mental health clinician, and our crisis negotiators whose efforts helped maintain dialogue and contributed significantly to the safe resolution of this incident."
On Friday, June 12, Matthew Parker will be arraigned in Northern Berkshire District Court for an incident that occurred on Wednesday evening, June 10, into the early morning of Thursday, June 11. click for more
The upper section of Houghton Street was blocked off for hours on Wednesday night as authorities sought to deal with an individual reportedly having a mental health issue.
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"The act of donning a uniform is a deeply symbolic act," said Lt. Col. Michael Hynes to the bundled-up crowd clustered around the Veterans Memorial on Route 2. "It is an act that expresses a deep and selfless commitment in the idea we call America."
Hynes, a graduate of Drury High School who enlisted in the Army in 1980, recalled the dedication and service of four particular servicemen: Sgt. 1st Class Paul Smith, Pfc. Stephen Sanford, Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham and Lt. Michael Murphy.
Smith held off an attacking force outside Baghdad, sacrificing himself to save his comrades; Sanford was shot several times while trying to recover wounded comrades, holding off snipers then doing CPR on a wounded man until he passed out from loss of blood; Murphy placed himself in peril to call for help when his patrol was discovered by the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan and was mortally wounded as the helicopter rescue arrived; and Dunham threw himself over a grenade released by an insurgent in Kabul, shielding his colleagues with his body.
All extraordinary acts, but not surprising to those who've worn the uniform, said Hynes, battalion commander of the 114th Signal Battalion at Fort Derick, Md. "We are awed by their strength but not surprised. We expect our comrades to be strong and hard ... this strength is truly the strength of America."
That strength transcends changes in war, policy, uniforms and equipment, he said. Rather, it's a tradition of patriotism that's felt by every veteran, "an enduring quality" that was the same 200 years ago and that will continue a hundred years from now.
"Ordinary men and women have been performing extraordinary duty ... to sacrifice for others they may never know or may not agree with. Our veterans have taken the idea of a free nation and turned it into the reality of a free nation."
Yet even as GIs consistently top public opinion polls as among the most admired people in the nation, their sacrifices are too often forgotten, said Larry Brothers, District 1 commander of the American Legion.
