Westfield Mayor Remembers Fallen Father, Others On Memorial Day

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield held its annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Monument on Monday. At the ceremony, Mayor Shelley Brindle recalled her father, killed in Vietnam when she was only six, and discussed the importance of memorializing the fallen.

Brindle had noted in an update Friday that the parade will return next year, since gathering restrictions won't be in place for meeting up to plan it.

The mayor's remarks from the ceremony are below:

Memorial Day provides an opportunity for us to pause and remember our fellow citizens who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can all enjoy the freedom and privileges that come with living in this great country. Today’s service seems particularly special and poignant in light of what we as a community and a country have endured over the past 15 months during this pandemic.

Having experienced many of our own personal sorrows these past 15 months, and unable to spend important milestones with friends and family, we have emerged with a new and greater appreciation for our freedom, and for the ultimate sacrifice paid by those whose names are on these monuments who fought and died for it.

For me personally, Memorial Day is sacred. My dad, Major David Wright, was an Air Force pilot killed in Vietnam in 1970 a year into his tour, flying his last mission before his scheduled return home to join my mom, my two sisters and me for Thanksgiving. Only in the past few years did we learn the details of that last assignment, taking aerial photographs of a North Vietnamese prison camp where American POWs were believed to be held in order to assist a planned rescue mission.

And here is the truth I know. When faced with putting his life on the line for the possibility of saving even one fellow soldier, my dad would make that same decision again. Just as I’m certain that many of the fallen heroes we honor today would do the same.

These include our local heroes from WWI whose names you find on our Gold Star Streets around Town, such as Private Harold Frederick Cowperthwaite who was killed in action in France, as was Private Edward Hyslip.

Upholding the “no man left behind” ethos, Westfielder Raymond Cherry carried his wounded hometown buddy Sergeant Robert Hanford to safety on a makeshift stretcher of overcoats and rifles before he died from his injuries. Please remember to reflect upon that next time you find yourself on Hanford Place.

If you speak with any returning veteran, or read about the most heroic acts on the battlefield, what emerges is the soldiers’ selfless commitment to look out for one another. It’s a sacred bond which transcends all else, even when they don’t always agree or support the larger mission. There is a lesson here that should inspire us all.

As we emerge from the ravages of this pandemic, let’s honor those that paid the ultimate sacrifice by emulating how they lived, and died: recommit to looking out for each other as friends and neighbors, regardless of our differences. Let’s give each other the benefit of the doubt, and put service above self.

Tomorrow, we will raise the flags to full staff which, according to tradition, represents the persistence of the nation in the face of loss. As a new day dawns on our country and community, let’s strive to embody the ideals and values cherished by those we honor today.

Thank you for giving me the privilege of speaking at this solemn occasion. God bless our Westfield community and the United States of America.

Brindle also thanked those who attended:

Thank you Reverend Philip for your comforting words, and to Kerry for sharing your beautiful voice with us once again. Thanks also to Allan Betau and Randy Grizzard for all that you and the American Legion do on behalf of our veterans. Thanks also to Police Chaplain Deacon Keith Gibbons for his assistance in organizing this event.

I’d also like to thank the Police and Fire Departments as well as the Westfield Rescue Squad for their participation, and to our Public Works crews who once again made these monuments look so beautiful today. I’d like to acknowledge the council members in attendance and thank them for their ongoing support and volunteer service to our community.

I’d also like to congratulate Lieutenant Colonel Noel Heath Lyn-Kew on his new assignment as the National Guard commander of the 1st Squadron, 102d Cavalry Regiment here at the Westfield Armory. Thank you for your service and for being here today, and know that my administration and this community are always at your service.

The ceremony included:

• FUMC Bells: Jack Panosh
• Honor Guard Presents Colors: Westfield Police Department and Westfield Fire Department
• Pledge of Allegiance
• National Anthem: Kerry Stubbs
• Prayer: Rev. Alison V. Philip, FUMC
• Remarks: Mayor Brindle
• Remarks: Allan Betau, Martin Wallberg American Legion Post 3
• Remarks: LTC Noel Heath Lyn-Kew, National Guard
• Amazing Grace: Bagpiper Kevin Murphy
• Presentation of Wreaths at Memorials
• Bring Him Home: Steven Collins
• Musket Salute: 69th NYSV Historical Association
• Taps: Dr. Ted Schlosberg, NJ Workshop for the Arts
• God Bless America: Kerry Stubbs
• Closing Prayer: Westfield Police Department Chaplain Deacon Gibbons

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