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11/02/2021 02:30 PMIn honor of Veterans Day, all town buildings and North Haven schools will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 11. American Legion Post 76 will then host a ceremony on the North Haven Green on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 11 a.m.
“North Haven has a great deal of respect for our veterans who so faithfully served,” said First Selectman Mike Freda. “Our veterans throughout town and those who are members of Post 76 will always have our support.”
Veterans Day is held on Nov. 11 in honor of the day and time that the armistice was signed by the allied forces and Germany—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918—though World War I didn’t officially end until June 28, 1919 when the Treaty of Versailles was signed. Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day until 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to change the name.
Nick Mastroianni, the adjutant for Post 76, has been with the American Legion for the past 20 years and noted that the post’s organization of the Veterans Day celebration “began way before me.” In past year, the event has run in conjunction with the North Haven Rotary Club’s pancake breakfast, but due to COVID, the breakfast was canceled in 2020 and 2021.
Prior to the Veterans Day ceremony, volunteers will gather on the green to prepare for the Veterans Day Project. Paulette Demaio began organizing the event seven years ago, coordinating groups of volunteers to do fall cleanups for local veterans. For information about volunteering or to share the name of a veteran, contact Demaio at 203-824-6707 or servingveterans112@gmail.com.
The Veterans Day ceremony will include speeches by elected officials, George Thompson playing bagpipes, former North Haven High School music director Ken Tedeschi performing “Taps,” the color guard, and the ringing of the bells in honor of veterans who have passed in the past year. More than 550 veterans are on the mailing list for Post 76 and all veterans are invited to the event.
“Veterans Day pays tribute to American veterans, dead or alive,” said Mastroianni. “People in town know we do this every year and we get a very nice showing.