Westfield Mayor Gives Remarks At Veterans Day Ceremony

WESTFIELD, NJ — Mayor Shelley Brindle delivered the following remarks at the Veterans Day ceremony in Westfield, hosted by the Martin Wallberg American Legion Post 3, with support from the Westfield Police Department, Westfield Fire Department, and Department of Public Works.

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Good morning. Thank you to Allan for inviting me to say a few words today, and to all of you that have served our country, and to those of you that do such good work on behalf of our veterans, including the Martin Wallberg American Legion Post 3, led by Randy Grizzard and Sharon Knight.

This year, Veterans Day has taken on special significance in the wake of a national election that saw a record number of citizens cast their votes. This privilege, the cornerstone of our democracy, is only possible because of the service and sacrifice of our veterans. We are a grateful nation and community. Thank you.

By now you probably know why Veterans Day means so much to me personally. It always falls near the anniversary of the day that my dad was killed in Vietnam. My dad, Major David I. Wright, was an Air Force pilot whose plane was shot down over Vietnam on November 13, 1970, which would be 50 years ago this Friday. I was only six years old, and my two older sisters were eight and ten, when we lost our dad.

On Veterans Day last year, I spoke about the ties that bind those who have served, as exemplified by the generosity of veterans who served with my dad, and whom I had never met, that reached out to my family in the last few years to share their memories of him so that we were aware of the lasting impact he had on their lives.

In sharing their stories, they were simply living up to the military ethos of loyalty, gratitude and honor which, along with their service, is what we’re recognizing today. It’s a day to acknowledge the contributions and sacrifice of all veterans, including those who are still among us, many having returned to civilian life with their service rarely known to those around them.

Unfortunately, many of today’s veterans remain forgotten. And today’s challenging circumstances, brought on by an unprecedented pandemic, have laid bare the inequities in our society, revealing in particular the extraordinary hardships suffered by many of our already struggling veterans. Disproportionately, veterans suffer from higher rates of depression, suicide, homelessness, and joblessness, often caused by untreated PTSD and a lack of access to adequate and affordable health care. As a society, we owe our veterans not just gratitude for their service, but policies and adequate funding that will enable them to live their lives with the dignity, respect, and independence they deserve.

Once again, on this Veterans Day, I urge everyone to honor our veterans not just today, but to honor them every day by doing what you can to ensure that our nation cares for our veterans in the manner that is worthy of their service and sacrifice. Just as service members believe it’s their sacred duty to leave no man or woman behind on the battlefield, we as civilians have a moral obligation to also live up to that ethos here at home when they’re no longer in uniform. Please do your part. Be a friend, supporter, and most importantly an advocate for services that our veterans need and deserve. I pledge my full commitment to do my part.

I’ll be thinking of all of you this Friday when I visit Arlington National Cemetery with my sisters to pay our respects to my dad, to all of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and to the countless veterans who so bravely served. I can never adequately express my gratitude, on behalf of our community, for your service.

Thank you for your time today. May God bless you, the Town of Westfield, and the United States of America.

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