(The Westfield News/MassLive – Amy Porter) Cathy Martin, a nurse in the Gulf War, said on Memorial Day that she’s seen up close how service members put their lives at risk to serve their country.
Martin, who is now junior vice commander of American Legion Post 124 and a nurse practitioner at Baystate Hospital, spoke about her 22 years of active duty in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, and what she saw when she deployed with one of the first on-site medical units in the Gulf War in the early 1990s.
“Many of us of child-bearing age when we deployed were concerned about our future babies. The whole time I was there, I was scared and frightened,” she said, describing missiles hitting near her MASH hospital several times.
“We had a mission to accomplish as American soldiers and warrior nurses,” she said.
Martin thanked all of the veterans for their sacrifices, and said they deserved respect and always will. She gave a list of ways in which Americans may honor veterans, including decorating a veteran’s grave, flying an American flag, thanking veterans for their sacrifice, acknowledging a Gold Star family, wearing a poppy that raises funds for veterans’ causes, and intervening for someone at risk of suicide by calling 988.
“It is time to mourn our heroes, our fallen brothers and sisters who gave themselves completely. We do not forget,” Martin said. She then named a member of the Nurse Corps who died in Baghdad, and encouraged everyone to remember by name those who were lost while serving the country.
She spoke at Westfield’s annual Memorial Day commemoration at Parker Memorial Park on West Silver Street. The May 29 ceremony followed a parade organized by Veterans Agent Julie Barnes down North Elm, Elm and Broad streets.
The service then began with an invocation by Post 124 Chaplain Richie Olechna and the reading of Gov. Maura Healey’s proclamation declaring Memorial Day by Westfield High School student Jillian Battles. Gary Fontaine of Post 124 served as master of ceremonies and Keith Buckhout, from Marine Corps League Detachment 141, as the officer of the day.
After acknowledging state Sen. John Velis, state Rep. Kelly Pease, and city councilors in attendance at the Memorial Day service, Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe named Donald Raymond Gustafson and Peter McCabe Sr. in his family to honor as veterans who are gone.
Velis acknowledged all of the parade participants. He said when the parade started at Mestek, he heard several times that Westfield gets it right.
“In my humble opinion, Memorial Day is the most sacred day of the year,” Velis said. He recounted that at the end of his last deployment to Afghanistan in 2018, military personnel leaving the outgoing terminal for the last time were able to see a mural dedicated to those who had lost their lives in Operation Enduring Freedom. On the mural were the words: “Live a life worthy of their sacrifice.”
Velis said every service member paused at the sign with the realization that they were going home, but everybody was not.
“Today, we are honoring the ones who left it all on the battlefield; who died so we could be here today,” he said, and named three servicemembers he had known who did not make it home, all of whom lost their lives on April 6, 2013.
Following the presentation of the wreath and the flag-folding ceremony led by Post 124 Commander Eric Volk, bugler Steve White led a Westfield Alumni Band quartet with Eric Thomas, Caterina Thomas and Kevin Moran, who played taps in four-part harmony. White said that version was originally written for the 50th anniversary of taps, and was played at the funeral service of President John F. Kennedy.
Fred Benda also played the bagpipes during the ceremony. Benda was acknowledged as having donated the poppy wreaths placed on all of the war memorials on behalf of the American Legion. He said he had seen the wreaths during a visit to his mother’s home in Cornwall, England. The wreaths are made in Scotland.
Benda said he was overseas during 2022′s Remembrance Day — the November holiday in England that coincides with Veterans Day in the United States — and was asked to play the pipes at their monument. He also played at the cemetery where his uncles and grandfather are buried.
Among those marching in the parade and at attention during the ceremony were the Westover Young Marines, led by unit commander retired Sgt. Maj. Edward Mitrook; Post 124 Legion Riders, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 182, Vietnam Veterans Chapter 219, Westfield Purple Heart Trail, and the Air National Guard 104th Fighter Wing Honor Guard and wing members.
Also marching in the parade were Westfield-West Springfield Elks, Westfield Police Department and Police Cadets, Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Westfield Fire Department, Girl Scout Troop 137, Boy Scout Troop 821, Cub Scout Troop 820, and the Westfield High School, Westfield Middle School, and Westfield Intermediate School marching bands.