Eastham recognizes Purple Heart recipients, all veterans
EASTHAM ― The Veterans Monument Committee saw the fruit of their labors to recognize all Eastham veterans fulfilled on Friday.
A granite monument with the emblems of the seven branches of service was unveiled and dedicated during a ceremony at the 1869 Schoolhouse Museum. The 6 1/2-foot tall, 5-foot monument made from Vermont granite includes a slanted tablet with the words: "In honor of those brave men and women of Eastham who served in the United States Armed Forces."
Lewis Andujar, co-chairman of the committee, ushered the group's efforts by his persistence, fellow member Denise Kopasz said. She and Bev Hobbs, another member of the committee took a moment to recognize Andujar's work, calling him the driving force behind the monument.
But Friday's ceremony recognized all veterans of all branches of service, whether they served in war or peacetime.Dan Clark, best known as the "singing trooper," acknowledged the Merchant Marines, Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Marines with renditions of each of their hymns.
Select Board member Aimee Eckman, a former Army staff sergeant, read off a list of nine Purple Heart recipients from Eastham. Three were deceased. The youngest recipient, a 19-year-old Army private, George Abbott was injured on Utah Beach in WWII. Two of his three children were at the ceremony on Friday.
The Purple Heart is the oldest American decoration still in use, Eckman said. It started as the Badge of Merit when Gen. George Washington awarded it in 1782. In 1932 it became the Purple Heart. In 1944, it went through another iteration, according to event speaker Michael Brennan.
Since then it has been given to those who died or were wounded in battle. There have been 1.8 million Purple Hearts awarded to veterans.
Brennan, a retired Navy chief petty officer and commander of the Disabled American Veterans of the Cape and Islands, Chapter 96, called Purple Heart recipients local heroes who often go unnoticed. "These are ordinary people who have done extraordinary things," he said.
An important day of remembrance
American Legion Post 287 Commander Bob Donahoe called Veterans Day an important day of remembrance."People need to remember what folks went through to give them their freedoms," he said.
Ross MacLean and his wife, Tina Meservey, both Eastham veterans, attended Friday's ceremony because MacLean said it was important to remember veterans and cited Washington's farewell speech to his soldiers.
"He said you have to take care of your veterans," MacLean said. "Otherwise you will not have soldiers for the next war, no matter how justified it may be."
More than 150 people stood around the teardrop patio that held the monument and flagpole flying the American and POW flags. Eastham police directed traffic at the Salt Pond Visitors Center where cars drove in to park. A contingent of Eastham police and fire personnel were in attendance. Veterans and their families were scattered throughout the audience.
Purple Heart recipient Joel Sugdinis sat in a front row seat before the monument, a gold sash draped across one shoulder. The former U.S. Army infantry commander has a hard time standing because of wounds he suffered from his service in Vietnam.
He has a Silver Star, four Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, two Vietnam Crosses for Gallantry. But he couldn't continue with the list of medals."I had a hard time," he said, choking up, remembering the day he lost 34 men. "These Purple Heart recipients, everyone of them has a bigger story to tell."
Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Veterans Day: Eastham recognizes Purple Heart recipients, veterans
