Published in the November 18, 2015 edition

HONORING all who answered the call to duty. WWII U.S. Navy veteran Tony Grasso, 89, (center), past Commander of the Lynnfield American Legion Post 131 from 1992 to 2003, was presented a commemorative plaque in honor of his service to Post 131 at Veterans' Day services. He served in the Pacific for two years and was on the USS Missouri for the signing of the surrender treaty by the Japanese on Sept. 2, 1945. He is flanked by his brothers, Pat Grasso (left), a U.S. Army veteran who served during the occupation of Japan in 1946, and Charles Grasso, who served during the combat period of the Korean War in 1952-53. Missing from photo is their brother Emilio. (Maureen Doherty Photo) 

HONORING all who answered the call to duty. WWII U.S. Navy veteran Tony Grasso, 89, (center), past Commander of the Lynnfield American Legion Post 131 from 1992 to 2003, was presented a commemorative plaque in honor of his service to Post 131 at Veterans’ Day services. He served in the Pacific for two years and was on the USS Missouri for the signing of the surrender treaty by the Japanese on Sept. 2, 1945. He is flanked by his brothers, Pat Grasso (left), a U.S. Army veteran who served during the occupation of Japan in 1946, and Charles Grasso, who served during the combat period of the Korean War in 1952-53. Missing from photo is their brother Emilio. (Maureen Doherty Photo) 

By MAUREEN DOHERTY

VIETNAM VETERAN and Purple Heart recipient John Lukas (left) accepts a plaque in honor of his service as the past commander of the Lynnfield American Legion Post 131 from current post Commander Paul Donato on Veterans' Day. Lukas served with the 82nd Airborne Division and headed the local American Legion from 2004 to 2013. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

VIETNAM VETERAN and Purple Heart recipient John Lukas (left) accepts a plaque in honor of his service as the past commander of the Lynnfield American Legion Post 131 from current post Commander Paul Donato on Veterans’ Day. Lukas served with the 82nd Airborne Division and headed the local American Legion from 2004 to 2013. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

LYNNFIELD — It may have been blustery outdoors, but the wet weather on Veterans’ Day failed to dampen the respect and admiration shown to the members of the nation’s armed forces who packed themselves into the Meeting House last Wednesday.

Multiple generations and a standing room only crowd gathered inside the venerable structure where countless generations of Lynnfieldians have displayed their civic pride for over 200 years.

LOCAL BOY SCOUTS from Troop 48 join outgoing Veterans' Services Agent Jason Kimball in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at Veterans' Day ceremonies. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

LOCAL BOY SCOUTS from Troop 48 join outgoing Veterans’ Services Agent Jason Kimball in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at Veterans’ Day ceremonies. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

Outgoing Veterans’ Services Agent Jason Kimball, who served 8 1/2 years with the U.S. Marine Corps where he rose to the rank of major, emceed the event. In advance of the ceremony, Kimball was peppered with questions from inquisitive Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts about military service after the boys had assisted him with setting up the chairs for the service.

All of the town’s Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Brownies joined Kimball in leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance with the colors presented by Boy Scout Troop 48 to open the ceremony.

AMERICAN LEGION Post 131 Commander Paul Donato (left) accepts a check for $500 from Lynnfield Rotary Club President Dick Simmons to support post activities such as upgrading the town's war memorial. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

AMERICAN LEGION Post 131 Commander Paul Donato (left) accepts a check for $500 from Lynnfield Rotary Club President Dick Simmons to support post activities such as upgrading the town’s war memorial. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

Rev. Paul Ritt, pastor of the Lynnfield Catholic Collaborative parishes of Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Maria Goretti churches, gave the invocation and benediction. Ritt asked God to “be with us today as we honor the veterans of our armed forces. They have generously devoted themselves to the service of our country in the defense of our freedom. Help us always to be grateful for their service.”

Kimball said it was “bittersweet” for him to be saying goodbye to his duties as the Veterans’ Services Agent after two years, but he assured those gathered that he would remain involved with veterans issues and in honoring the town’s veterans. He offered kudos to his predecessor, Sgt. Nick Secatore, for his work in honoring veterans through the town’s Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day activities.

Kimball also announced plans are being created to update the town’s war memorial on the common, a project he will continue to support through his affiliation with the Lynnfield American Legion Post 131.

As Veterans’ Agent, Kimball said he developed the first criteria for veterans to have their names included on an updated memorial. The criteria was approved by the Board of Selectmen and includes an appeal process.

BROWNIES from Lynnfield troop 86213 at OLA School and 76214 from the Summer Street School enjoyed talking with Vietnam veteran John Lukas and learning about the various service medals he earned as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army on Veterans' Day. Front row from left: Lorelei Eckhardt, Grace Ditchfield, Annabelle Eckhardt, Alana Doroquez and Shea Mason; back row, from left: Angelica Zizza, Genevieve Doucette and John Lukas. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

BROWNIES from Lynnfield troop 86213 at OLA School and 76214 from the Summer Street School enjoyed talking with Vietnam veteran John Lukas and learning about the various service medals he earned as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army on Veterans’ Day. Front row from left: Lorelei Eckhardt, Grace Ditchfield, Annabelle Eckhardt, Alana Doroquez and Shea Mason; back row, from left: Angelica Zizza, Genevieve Doucette and John Lukas. (Maureen Doherty Photo)

The goal is to create a fitting memorial that will not look like a patchwork quilt filled with names of veterans who have served during more recent conflicts. “You’d have to have another little plaque here and another plaque there and it ends up looking like a checkerboard. That’s not what we should be doing for our veterans,” Kimball said.

“We want it arranged in an area that is not too big on the common, maybe across the street (on South Common), maybe on the common if we have space. That’s up to the powers that be. That’s going to happen and we’re going to make sure that happens,” he said.

Funds for the new war memorial will be raised privately, he said, similar to how it was done in Wakefield, but on a smaller scale. Lynnfield Rotary Club President Dick Simmons presented a check for $500 to American Legion Commander Paul Donato to seed that project.

Board of Selectmen Chairman Phil Crawford delivered the keynote address. He opened his address by acknowledging Kimball’s service to the country, which garnered a round of applause.

“Jason served 8 1/2 years in the U. S. Marine Corps where he reached the rank of Major. During his duty, he served two tours of combat, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan,” Crawford noted.

Crawford asked all those gathered to honor all the men and women who have “worn this nation’s uniform” and to thank them for their service, courage, valor and devotion to duty.

“Whether they served in time of peace or war, all of America’s veterans share a common bond, their unwavering belief in the cause of freedom; a belief so strong they were willing to give their lives, if need be, in its defense,” Crawford said.

“We owe so much to our veterans, and it is debt we can never truly repay. We owe them our way of life, our freedom to live, work and raise our families as we please,” Crawford noted, adding, “Honoring the sacrifices many have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the very foundation of Veterans’ Day.” The full text of Crawford’s speech is reprinted elsewhere in today’s Villager.

Three of Lynnfield’s veterans were also recognized during the service. American Legion Post 131 Commander Paul Donato presented plaques to two of the post’s long-standing past commanders, Tony Grasso and John Lukas.

Grasso, a WWII U.S. Navy veteran who served two years in the Pacific, was a young man of 19 aboard the USS Missouri when the Japanese signed their surrender treaty 70 years ago on Sept. 2, 1945. From 1992 to 2003, Grasso served as the commander of American Legion Post 131. Donato said Grasso “provided dedicated service and kept the post alive and strong” during his tenure.

Lukas is a veteran of the Vietnam War who served with the 82nd Airborne division of the U.S. Army from 1966-68. He is a recipient of the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge. In February of 1968, he was part of the Tet Offensive. He told the Villager that his brigade’s participation in the Tet Offensive marked the first time the 82nd Airborne had left U.S. soil because it was intended to be the one “combat ready” division stateside “to fight the Russians on the beaches” if they had attempted to invade the U.S.

Lukas and his division had also been called up during the Detroit riots where he said they were “fired upon but were not allowed to fire.” At the time he was 19 years old. Riding in a bus from the Air Force Base to the scene of the riots with his fellow soldiers, as they loaded ammunition into the magazines of their rifles from a bucket of bullets on the floor, he recalled that he could not believe something like this was taking place in America.

Lukas served as the Legion’s post commander from 2004 to 2013. Donato thanked Lukas “for your service to your country, to the post and to your fellow veterans and leaving the post in good shape.”

In honor of the 25th anniversary year of Operation Desert Storm, Kimball also recognized the service of Lynnfield resident Ann Powers who had served in Kuwait as a military police officer. Each of the honored veterans received appreciative rounds of applause.

Kimball concluded by thanking everyone for attending and participating in the ceremony and encouraging them to mingle with the veterans and enjoy the refreshments, stating, “Our honored veterans are why we are really here today.”