Gilbertsville Ceremony Honors Veterans at Butternut Valley Grange

By TERESA WINCHESTER
GILBERTSVILLE

American Legion Post 1339 and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1339 hosted a Veterans Day ceremony on Sunday, November 9 at the Butternut Valley Grange in Gilbertsville. Approximately 50 people attended. The tightly organized program with numerous components was presided over by Auxiliary President Anne Sebeck. It included, in part, advancement of colors by Boy Scout Troop 44, prayers by Legion Chaplain Norm Eastwood and presentations by Boys State representative Latham Retz and Girls State representatives Andrea Favinger and Mackenzie Marron. Girl Scouts presented those veterans present with cards of thanks and Reverend Randy Palada played patriotic and military songs on the harmonica.

Gilbertsville Mayor Aidan Woishnis read a seven-point proclamation, saying, among other things, that “the Village of Gilbertsville is home to veterans, Guard and Reserve members, and military families, and we also honor our Gold Star families, caregivers, and all who support those who serve.” The proclamation stated that “we remember with respect and sorrow those who never came home, including those who are still missing in action or unaccounted for.” He concluded by calling upon residents of Gilbertsville to thank a veteran, observe a moment of silence for the fallen and the missing, and to support veterans and their families “not only today, but throughout the year.”

The keynote speaker, retired Army Command Sgt. Major Gary Flaherty, who served in Vietnam and Korea and had a key role in creating an all-volunteer Army, echoed Woishnis’ call for ongoing support for veterans.

Currently serving as Oneonta Veterans Outreach Center chief administrator, Flaherty stated, “I can attest to you that, on a daily basis, I see veterans, widows and families in great need.”

Flaherty also made a plea for unity amid the current strife-ridden political climate in our nation, stating, “…the American instinct has never been to find isolation in opposite corners. It is to find strength in our common creed, to forge unity from our great diversity, to sustain that strength and unity even when it is hard. And when the election is over, as we search for ways to come together to reconnect with one another and with principles that are more enduring than transitory politics, some of the best examples are the men and women we salute on Veterans Day.”

Flaherty called upon veterans to “take the lead in getting us back to loving one another,” further exhorting, “Our future depends on it.”

Interviewed after the ceremony, Flaherty said that the outreach center, located in the Oneonta Armory at 4 Academy Street, was getting a lot of help from the community. Regular contributors to the center’s food bank, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., come from Heller Farms, Chobani and Panera Bread. A commercial-size refrigerator and freezer, donated by the Oneonta Elks Club, has enhanced the center’s ability to provide food to those in need, Flaherty also said. Anyone in need of food, regardless of veteran status, may receive food from the OVOC. Donations of clothing are also accepted and distributed on an as-needed basis.

Working with homeless vets is another focus of the center. Flaherty indicated that mental issues associated with post-traumatic stress disorder were a root cause of homelessness. To begin to address mental issues, the center has initiated an Alcoholics Anonymous program which meets at the Armory every Thursday at 10 a.m.

“All are welcome,” Flaherty said.

Flaherty is also certified by New York State to file compensation cases for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs. He stated that through the outreach center, there are currently 113 cases pending and that compensations received are averaging about 70 percent of full compensation. He has managed to obtain full compensation for two parties, which amounts to approximately $4,000.00 per month, he said.

In September, the center hosted a “stand-down” event, which included medical screenings, Veterans Administration registration and enrollment, employment assistance, legal aid referrals, housing assistance, health insurance information, a mobile vet center (a specialized vehicle designed to provide services related to veterans’ affairs), personal care items, clothing, food, free haircuts, and free breakfast and lunch.

The center is a division of the Utica Center for Development and serves veterans in both Otsego and Delaware counties. Kerri Lincoln serves as case manager of the outreach center. Information about and the veterans outreach center and upcoming activities is available on Facebook at “Oneonta Veteran’s Outreach Center.”

During the course of the program, Tom McMillen of Morris, who served two tours of duty in Vietnam while in the Army, made an impromptu address to those present, recalling that those serving in Vietnam often received abusive treatment upon their return.

Barbara Lilley, of the Tianderah Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution stated after the program that she was pleased with number of people that attended, “both official and community.”

“We had a three- or four-year-old all the way up to 80-year-old people. It’s so important that young kids, like the Girl Scouts, participate in these events,” she said.

Post Commander Vikki Cates also expressed approval of the program.

“As usual, it was a wonderful and well-organized program. Anne does a wonderful presentation every year,” she said.

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AllOtsego, “The Freeman’s Journal” and “Hometown Oneonta”
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