Ceremony Honors East Hampton Residents Serving Overseas

Rain might have put a damper on the East Hampton Memorial Day Parade on Monday but the Remembrance Ceremony went on.

Residents filled the high school auditorium for services honoring our veterans. Included was the Yellow Ribbon ceremony, being held for the first time.

Many in East Hampton had voiced concerns that war veterans have been coming home to a lack of respect and honor after risking their lives.

The program, implemented through the hard work of Ann McLaughlin, was to include tying yellow ribbons around the tree in the center of the village. Because of the rain, each of four families with loved ones serving overseas was presented with a yellow ribbon.

“It was fantastic,” McLaughlin said. “People were so good. We had to put it together at the last minute. It was a little confusing to start out with but it was really great. I was so pleased.”

The families of Air Force Airman Nicholas Pawlak, Navy CDR Michael Flatley, Marine Lance Corporal Anthony Strong and Marine Private First Class David Jensen received yellow ribbons.

When any of these service personnel return, there will be another ceremony cutting the ribbon off the tree and thanking the person for his or her service.

“The people that received the ribbons were completely honored,” McLaughlin said. "They were so happy. It was wonderful."

The ribbons will be put on the tree on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

The guest speaker was Arron M. McLaughlin, Sergeant/E-5, Fire Direction Chief of the Headquarters Company 1-102 INF Army National Guard, and a Purple Heart recipient who recently returned from Afghanistan. McLaughlin is a graduate of East Hampton High School.

For more on the ceremony, visit the story on WFSB.com.

The East Hampton Welcome Home Veterans Committee is still looking for service people that are serving overseas so they can put their ribbons on the tree and plan to welcome the soldiers home when the time comes.  Anyone who is aware of military personnel serving overseas, should contact Ann R. McLaughlin at 860-267-2316 or email amclaug105@aol.com.